SW News: Officials in France have said that the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, which was damaged by fire in 2019, could be reopened for the faithful and visitors by the end of next year given the pace of the reconstruction.

This year, the monumental spire of the cathedral will slowly reappear after it was gutted in the blaze. According to General Jean Louis Georgelin, who is in charge of the reconstruction of the cathedral, its reappearance will be a powerful sign of its rebirth. “The return of the spire in Paris’ sky will in my opinion be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame," he told the Associated Press.

It was in 2022 that the reconstruction began as the work to stabilize the structure after the fire took more than three years. The French authorities took the decision to rebuild it and restore it to its pristine glory as it was. Initially, there were calls for a modern tweak to the revamped cathedral. But there was a hue and cry from art lovers and believers forcing the authorities to adhere to its original style. One of the most challenging tasks is the recreation of the 93-meter spire that was added to the cathedral in the 19th century by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.

On Tuesday, March 7, an expo entitled “Notre-Dame de Paris: at the heart of the construction site” got underway in an underground facility right in front of the structure. It highlights the restoration activity in stages and the skills of the experts who have been employed for this mammoth project.

It is expected that Notre Dame will be opened to the public in December next year as per the promise of President Emmanuel Macron soon after the mishap. However, it will not be opened before the Paris Olympic Games during the summer of 2024. “My job is to be ready to open this cathedral in 2024. And we will do it," Gen. Georgelin said. "We are fighting every day for that and we are on a good path.”

He added that the Archbishop of Paris will be able to celebrate Holy Mass in December once again in this centuries-old edifice. It will also accommodate tourists. However, minor revamping activities will continue through 2025 although the cathedral will be open for worshippers and visitors, said Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malik.

Georgelin said close to 1,000 people are engaged in the restoration work of the building. “The biggest challenge is to comply precisely every day to the planning we have done," he stressed. “We have a lot of different works to achieve: the framework, the painting, the stones, the vault, the organ, the stained glass and so on.”

When the cathedral caught fire, the rector was able to rescue one of the most priceless relics in Christendom: the crown of thorns of Christ Himself.