Aupetit reminds Catholics why Notre Dame was built

Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit celebrated Easter Day Mass at the Church of Saint-Eustache, a mile from Notre Dame, six days after a fire ravaged the city’s historic cathedral, writes James Roberts.

In his homily Archbishop Aupetit said that saving the body of Christ, in the form of the Blessed Sacrament, was the first question that crossed his mind as rescue efforts were under way on the night of 15 April. “‘Where is the body of the Lord?’ This is the question that arose on Monday evening at the height of the Notre-Dame de Paris fire: ‘Where is the body of the Lord?’ It was necessary to save the cathedral, the treasure … It was also necessary to save, for the believers, this infinitely precious relic: the crown of thorns of Jesus brought back by King Saint-Louis,” he said.

He then reminded the Massgoers that Notre Dame was not built to house treasures, but the body of Christ. “It is for this Body, veiled under the appearance of a crumb of bread that this cathedral was built … What is more precious? The cathedral, the treasure or the breadcrumb?” he asked.

Rebuilding Notre Dame was a priority, he said, but such efforts must not overshadow the very reason for its existence.

The archbishop also paid tribute to the firefighters and their priest chaplain, Fr Jean-Marc Fournier, who rushed into the burning building to salvage the relics and the Blessed Sacrament.

“He [Fr Fournier] took risks to save a crumb of bread because it was the risen Body of our Lord that we celebrate today, as we celebrate every Sunday, which has become the central day of our week because it is the day of his Resurrection,” said the archbishop.