Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral to hold first mass since devastating fire

Exactly two months after the calamitous blaze, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will host its first mass on Saturday

Exactly two months after the calamitous blaze, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will host its first mass on Saturday. FILE PHOTO AFP

Paris: Exactly two months after the calamitous blaze, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will host its first mass on Saturday. The incident frightened France and the world to an unthinkable level. For safety reasons, the mass led by Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit will be celebrated on a very small scale. Worshippers will be expected to don hard hats but priests will be wearing their ceremonial garb. The Saturday’s mass, two months after the fire ravaged the roof of the 850-year-old antediluvian landmark will be held in a side-chapel and limited to about some 30 people “for obvious security reasons”, the diocese said The mass will be attended chiefly by priests and canons, but not members of the parish. Led by the Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, the service will be broadcast live on Catholic TV channel KTO. It will take place at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) in the Chapel of the Virgin on the east side of the cathedral behind the choir, which has been confirmed to be safe. Aupetit will be joined by the rector of Notre-Dame, Patrick Chauvet, canons, volunteers, people working on the restoration as well a handful of lay worshippers. The date has been chosen as it is the anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral's altar, which is celebrated every year on June 16. The date is "highly significant, spiritually," Chauvet told AFP, adding he was happy to be able to show that "Notre-Dame is truly alive". President Emmanuel Macron has set an ambitious target of five years for restoring Notre-Dame, which was gutted by a fire on April 15 that felled its steeple and consumed the lattice of beams supporting the roof. After finding high lead levels on the ground encompassing the cathedral, the Paris authorities are continuing to clean the cathedral square and surrounding areas. Environmental campaigners have cautioned of potential environmental pollution from the hundreds of tonnes of lead in the cathedral spire and roof, which melted in the extreme heat of the fire. The pregnant women and children living around the cathedral have been urged by the health authorities to have the levels of lead in their blood checked amid concerns about the impact of the fire. The diocese is awaiting a response from the French authorities over whether it can re-open the esplanade in front of the cathedral to the public. If the authorities approve the plan, the idea is to celebrate evening prayers there, the diocese said. The church has also floated the idea of erecting a temporary structure in front of the cathedral to welcome worshippers while the building is repaired. In order to remove the debris and stabilise the structure, up to 150 workers have been working at the cathedral daily since the fire. Two large white canopies have been placed above the nave and the choir to ensure the edifice is protected, including from the rain. Pledges of some 850 million euros ($960 million) had been made from prominent French businessmen and ordinary citizens but only around 10 per cent has been donated so far. France Info public radio said just 80 million euros had been paid, with businessmen giving the money in tranches and some private individuals renouncing their pledges due to the apparent success of the campaign.