Notre Dame Cathedral, empty for Christmas, may never recover from devastating fire

John Bacon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Notre Dame Cathedral may not be saved after devastating fire France's Notre Dame Cathedral may never recover from the devastating fire that collapsed the roof and an iconic spire, Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said.

France's Notre Dame Cathedral, which failed to host Christmas services Wednesday for the first time in more than 200 years, may never recover from the devastating fire that collapsed the roof and an iconic spire, its rector said.

Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said the church, which dates back more than 800 years, has been left so fragile that there is a 50% chance it can't be saved. The actual restoration probably won't even begin this year because of conservation work aimed at rescuing the structure, he said.

"Today it is not out of danger," he said before Christmas Eve midnight Mass at a nearby church. "It will be out of danger when we take out the remaining scaffolding."

The massive cathedral was dark and empty on Christmas. Services were held a mile away at Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a church with its own renowned history dating back to the 7th century.

A wooden liturgical platform was constructed in Saint-Germain to resemble Notre Dame’s, and the cathedral's choir sang at midnight Mass.

On April 15, millions of people around the world watched in stunned horror, glued to TVs, as flames and smoke spewed from the Gothic marvel. The fire burned for hours, virtually unabated despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters.

Within days, more than $1 billion was pledged by thousands of donors to finance the reconstruction. It will be needed.

Tens of thousands of scaffolding tubes had lined the church when the fire broke out. Some were damaged, and workers have been gingerly extricating the damaged scaffolding while trying not to weaken the structure.

“We need to remove completely the scaffolding in order to make the building safe,” Chauvet said. “Once the scaffolding is removed we need to assess the state of the cathedral, the quantity of stones to be removed and replaced.”

Progress has been slowed by environmental concerns. In August, Paris authorities shut down streets around the cathedral to decontaminate them after high levels of lead were discovered in the area.

The cathedral did hold a modest service in June in its Chapel of the Virgin, marking 850 years since the consecration of the cathedral's altar. The 30 gathered congregants wore hard hats under a ceiling with gaping holes.

Chauvet said he believes that if the structure survives, it could be safe for tourists in 2024. But he expects full renovation to take much longer.

French President Emmanuel Macron set a goal of 2024 for completion of the reconstruction, although experts have expressed doubt the timetable is feasible.

"We are a people of builders," Macron said in announcing the reconstruction effort. "So yes, we will rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral. Even more beautifully."

Contributing: The Associated Press