For the first time since 1803, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will not hold a Christmas Mass, French officials confirmed on Saturday. The announcement comes as workers continue to work and repair the Unesco World Heritage site more than eight months after a devastating fire destroyed the church's roof and spire.
Midnight Mass will still be celebrated Christmas Eve, officials said. However, it will have to take place at the nearby church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerois.
French President Emmanuel Macron has set a five year goal to have the 850-year-old building reopen, which has been covered by scaffolding and an enormous crane looming over the work site. Nearly 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion dollars), have been raised or pledged to help complete the work.
"We have the opportunity to celebrate the Mass outside the walls, so to speak... but with some indicators that Notre-Dame is connected to us," Cathedral rector Patrick Chauvet told the Associated Press.
One of those 'indicators' is a wooden liturgical platform that has been constructed at Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois to resemble the one at the Cathedral.
The cause of the April 15th blaze is still under investigation, however, officials are looking into the possibility a "badly stubbed out cigarette" or an electrical fault could be the cause of the fire. No evidence has been found that suggests a criminal origin.
The building has remained opened through two centuries of history, including the Nazi occupation of Paris in the second world war. The last time the Paris landmark was forced to close was during the anti-Catholic revolutionary period in the 18th and 19th centuries.
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