After 200 years, a Christmas mass will not be held in burnt Notre Dame

Renovation work at the Cathedral in Paris is underway, and the prayers have been relocated to a nearby church. The historic site has survived the turbulent upheavals in France over the last two centuries, but the fire has almost completely destroyed it

After 200 years, a Christmas mass will not be held in burnt Notre Dame

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will not hold the Christmas Mass this year, for the first time in 200 years, due to renovations at the site that was burned last April. Instead, "Mass of the Night" will be held this Wednesday at the nearby church of Saint-Germain L'Occreville.

The 850-year-old Gothic cathedral, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, lost its turret and roof during the fire. President Emmanuel Macron allocated five years to rebuild it, and in October the French Ministry of Culture announced that about a billion euros had been collected or secured for the works.

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Only closed during the French Revolution. Renovation work in Notre Dame (Photo: AP)

Renovations at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris December 3, 2019 (Photo: AP)

The historic church survived two centuries of often turbulent history, and it was closed only during the French Revolution, when anti-Catholic forces briefly made it a "sanctuary of reason."

The rector of the cathedral, Patrick Shuva, told the Associated Press that the alternate Mass will be held on a wooden stage reminiscent of the one in the cathedral. "We have a chance to celebrate the Mass outside the walls, so to speak, but with some properties related to Notre Dame."

The causes of the fire, which almost led to the collapse of the entire cathedral, are not yet officially known, but the suspicion is that it was a cigarette that was not extinguished well or short-circuited. Officials said there was no evidence to indicate that it was an intentional arson.