Notre Dame cathedral: Priest helped firefighters rescue treasures from burning landmark

Emergency services form human chain to save artworks and relics

A priest entered the burning Notre Dame cathedral with firefighters to help rescue relics including the Crown of Thorns.

Jean-Marc Fournier, the chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, insisted on being allowed to access the Gothic building with firefighters on Monday.

Once inside, he played a role in rescuing the Crown of Thorns, according to Philippe Goujon, mayor of Paris’ 15th district.

The centuries-old relic is widely regarded as the church’s most precious treasure.

It is made of reeds and gold and said to have been worn by Jesus Christ at his crucifixion.

The relic was stored at the end of a nave in the cathedral and around 13m people visit Notre Dame each year to view it.

Mr Fournier also helped to save the Blessed Sacrement, the items used during Mass, according to KTOTV.

The priest had previously won acclaim after the November 2016 Bataclan attack, when he entered the venue, tended to the injured and said prayers for the dead.

On Monday firefighters, police officers and some municipal employees formed a human chain at Notre Dame to rescue its treasures.

They saved most of the cathedral’s relics and artwork, including a tunic believed to have been worn by Louis IX of France in the 13th century.

Firefighters worked through Monday night to secure the cathedral’s structure and facade.

The blaze destroyed the Gothic building’s roof and toppled its spire.

But some works of art remain inside the church.

Christophe Castaner, France’s interior minister, said state employees would need to wait 48 hours to enter the building and take care of the remaining artworks.

Some are too big to be transferred safely out of the building but Mr Castaner said some risks remained to the cathedral’s structure.

He told reporters that the church was ”under permanent surveillance because it can still budge”.

“We will be standing at Notre Dame’s bedside,” he added.

Additional reporting by agencies