Notre-Dame fire: Romanian Christian Orthodox Church sends message of solidarity with French people

The Romanian Christian Orthodox Church (BOR) delivered on Tuesday a message of "profound" solidarity with the French people following a fire that damaged the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, expressing a wish for this place of worship, "a symbol of Christian Europe," to be restored as soon as possible according to Agerpres.

"The Romanian Patriarchate has learned with deep sorrow about the fire that, on the evening of April 15, 2019, destroyed the roof of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, a monument of immensurable religious, historical and architectural value, a symbol of European Christianity, known all over the world and visited every year by millions of pilgrims and tourists," reads a message released by Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate.

According to the BOR, "the venerable emblem of Europe's cathedrals, a history-filled church (that started in 1163), which has withstood the vicissitudes of ages for over 850 years, is now severely damaged, producing, besides immense material damage, international outrage."

"We are standing in solidarity with the French nation, which is so hardly tested these days by severe damage incurred on a national and international spiritual symbol. We also want this cathedral, a symbol of Christian Europe, to be restored as soon as possible, especially with the help of those who love the spiritual values of the world's religious and cultural heritage."