The key to understanding Notre Dame Cathedral was summarized by Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit in a television interview in the wee hours of April 16: “Why was this beauty built? What jewel was this case meant to contain? Not the crown of thorns (a relic saved from the fire), but a piece of bread that we believe is the body of Christ.”
The retired Pope Benedict XVI marks his 92 birthday April 16.
ardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark called New Jersey’s new law allowing assisted suicide regrettable, saying “whatever its motives and means,” it is “morally unacceptable.”
The fire erupted about 6:30 p.m. local time, and authorities said the cause was not certain but that it could be linked to renovation work that the cathedral was undergoing, the BBC reported.
At the Vatican and in many parts of the world, Palm Sunday also is marked as the local celebration of World Youth Day, and Pope Francis spoke specifically to young people in his homily.
Pope Francis has sent a large donation to assist tens of thousands of Iranians who lost their homes and businesses in waves of severe flooding that began in mid-March.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress have introduced bills that would allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid family leave, pointing to the recognition by both political parties that such a benefit would help families.
The restoration of the stairs, believed to have been climbed by Jesus when he appeared before Pilate, was the final phase of a 20-year effort to restore the 16th-century sanctuary.
