A French priest who helped the wounded in the Bataclan terror attack on Paris and who survived an ambush in Afghanistan also emerged as a hero of the Notre Dame fire today.

Jean-Marc Fournier, chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, rushed straight for the relics housed in the cathedral to rescue the the Blessed Sacrament and the Crown of Thorns relics from the blazing building on Monday night.

It was feared that both religious artefacts would be lost as flames engulfed the medieval building, but Father Fournier made sure they were taken to safety.

Four years ago he also comforted the wounded after the worst terrorist attack on Paris this century when 89 people were massacred at the Eagles of Death Metal concert in 2015.

During his time as an army chaplain, Father Fournier, survived an ambush in which 10 soldiers were killed.

Father Jean-Marc Fournier, chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, saved the Blessed Sacrament and the Crown of Thorns from the blazing Notre Dame cathedral

The Holy Crown of Thorns displayed at a ceremony at Notre Dame Cathedral in 2014. The holy relic was saved from destruction in last night's blaze by chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, Jean-Marc Fournier

The Crown of Thorns 'worn by Jesus as he was crucified' One of the cathedral's most precious objects, the crown of thorns is purported to have been worn by Jesus Christ on the cross. Records of its existence begin in the sixth century AD, when it is believed to have been kept in Jerusalem by Christians. During the Crusades in 1238, the Emperor of Constantinople gave it to King Louis IX to win his support and try and preserve his crumbling empire. Although the crown itself was saved, a small fragment of the crown had been kept in the spire and is therefore believed to have burned to ashes. Advertisement

Etienne Loraillere, an editor for France's KTO Catholic television network, said Father Fournier 'went with the firefighters into Notre Dame Cathedral to save the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament'.

This was confirmed by an emergency services source who said: 'Father Fournier is an absolute hero.

'He showed no fear at all as he made straight for the relics inside the Cathedral, and made sure they were saved. He deals with life and death every day, and shows no fear.'

The blaze erupted in the medieval UNESCO world heritage landmark in the French capital on Monday, sending its spire and roof crashing to the ground as flames and clouds of smoke billowed into the sky.

One of the cathedral's most precious objects, the Crown of Thorns is purported to have been worn by Jesus Christ on the cross when he was crucified.

Records of its existence begin in the sixth century AD, when it is believed to have been kept in Jerusalem by Christians.

During the Crusades in 1238, the Latin Emperor of Constantinople gave it to King Louis IX to win his support and try and preserve his crumbling empire.

Although the crown itself was saved from the fire last night, a small fragment of the it had been kept in the spire and is therefore believed to have burned to ashes.

Emergency services worked with city staff to save priceless relics from the devastating fire

Smoke and flames rising into the Paris sky during the devastating fire at the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris last night

The fire, which at one point threatened the entire edifice, was brought under control early on Tuesday about nine hours after it broke out.

Father Fournier rushed inside the Bataclan music venue in Paris on November 13 2015, when ISIS militants murdered 89 people using guns and explosives.

The modest chaplain prayed over the dead, and comforted those who were injured or had lost loved ones.

'I gave collective absolution, as the Catholic Church authorises me,' father Fournier said at the time.

Father Fournier, who is in his 50s, started his career as Catholic priest in Germany, and then moved to the Sarthe department of France.

He joined the armed forces diocese in 2004, spending seven years working with the army all over the world.

In Afghanistan he was involved in an ambush in which 10 soldiers were killed.

Father Fournier said: 'On my first trip to Afghanistan, I was seized by fear – everything I saw could potentially be dangerous, as we had learned during training courses.'

Priceless relics were saved as the inferno rage last night when firefighters formed a human chain inside the fire ravaged building.

Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, thanked the city's emergency services in a tweet, revealing they had formed a 'formidable human chain to save the works' of Notre Dame.

Other precious artefacts that were saved included the tunic of Saint Louis, which dated back to the 13th century.

The Crown of Thorns is said to have been part of the crown placed on Jesus's head during his crucifixion.

After parts of the thorns were distributed around Europe in the following centuries it was brought to Paris from Byzantium by Louis IX after being given as a gift by the Latin Emperor of Constantinople, Baldwin II in 1238.