Irish Examiner View: Notre Dame's bourdon bell a fitting tribute for end of Covid-19

The Parisian cathedral in its former glory before the devasting fire.

The famous bourdon bell rang throughout Paris last night to mark the first anniversary of the inferno that gutted the cathedral of Notre Dame.

It provided a musical backdrop to the sight of hundreds of thousands of Parisians applauding from their windows and balconies in tribute to the frontline staff risking their lives to treat Covid-19 patients.

For most visitors, it is the Eiffel Tower that symbolises the City of Light but for Parisians it is Notre Dame, a place of prayer and sanctuary in times of hardship and despair.

Amid the current crisis, artisan work on restoring the cathedral to its former glory is paused, but monitoring of the structure continues.

According to president Emmanuel Macron, “the restoration of Notre Dame... is a symbol of the resilience of our people, of their capacity to overcome hardships, and to recover.”

For 850 years Notre Dame has borne witness to wars, plagues, and revolutions. The bourdon, which survived the fire, is traditionally rung for major religious celebrations, papal visits, and presidential funerals.

It would be fitting for it to ring again to mark the libération de la crise.