When weeping Parisians watched Notre Dame, the city’s beloved 800-year-old cathedral, being consumed by a devastating fire in 2019, it served as a sad symbol of the decimation of churchgoing itself in France. Ever since revolutionaries began decapitating priests and nuns in the 1790s, a precipitous decline in Catholic faith has been underway in the country. The ‘Last Supper’ debacle of last summer’s Olympic opening ceremony only served to cement the country’s famously secular reputation.
In 2023, the number of people attending Church of England services increased by 5 per cent
However, against all odds, the bells of Notre Dame will be ringing out again in time for Christmas Day. A remarkable reconstruction project has seen a transformed cathedral rise from the ashes. Its stained glass windows and original stones now glow luminously after centuries of grime were removed, and the building will be packed with worshippers over the festive season. Perhaps, if God exists, he enjoys surprising us.
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