[Chronicles] The French Soul, in Stone

A new book dramatically recounts the grave and heady hours of the 2019 fire, along with other key moments in Notre-Dame’s esteemed history that have bound its fate to that of France. It is a timely reminder that under its thick layer of secularism, the country remains staunchly Catholic at heart.

Notre-Dame: The Soul of France. By Agnès Poirier. OneWorld Publications; 219 pages; $26.95.

Editor’s note — an excerpt of this book review featured in the January 2021 issue of Chronicles, a publication of the Charlemagne Institute.

Kneeling in public spaces remains a rare sight in France — Muslim crowds who’ve recently indulged in the practice in banlieues have shocked the country’s staunchly secular principle that religion should be severely constrained to the private sphere. So when a motley lot of tourists and locals fell on their knees witnessing Notre-Dame’s spire and 13th century wooden roof crumbling ablaze on a spring afternoon last year, the media understandably failed to grasp the moment’s deep religious significance.