As Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral continues to burn, politicians, religious figures, and celebrities alike took to Twitter to mourn the destruction of the iconic 800-year-old building. “The horrific fire that is engulfing the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is shocking and saddens us all,” the U.S. Bishop’s Conference said in a tweeted statement, “for this particular cathedral is not only a majestic Church, it is also a world treasure.” “I still remember the beauty of an Easter Mass I attended at Notre Dame cathedral some twenty years ago,” tweeted presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg. “Dreadful to see such destruction at one of the world’s most wondrous places.” Ex-President Barak Obama wrote on Twitter that he was thinking of France in this “time of grief,” and said it was human nature not only to mourn loss but to “rebuild for tomorrow, as strong as we can.” “My heart goes out to Paris,” Hillary Clinton added. “Notre Dame is a symbol of our ability as human beings to unite for a higher purpose—to build breathtaking spaces for worship that no one person could have built on their own. I wish France strength and shared purpose as they grieve and rebuild.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan wrote that “I just went next door to our own beloved Cathedral, Saint Patrick’s, to ask the intercession of Notre Dame, our Lady, for the Cathedral at the heart of Paris, and of civilization, now in flames! God preserve this splendid house of prayer, and protect those battling the blaze.” “Am praying for Notre Dame,” Cher added.