A French priest who provided comfort to victims during the 2015 Paris terror attack was hailed as a hero after he risked his life by dashing into the Notre Dame cathedral that was engulfed in flames to rescue the Crown of Thorns—a wreath of thorns believed to have been placed on Jesus Christ’s head at his crucifixion.
Father Jean-Marc Fournier, the chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, also saved the Blessed Sacrament while he joined rescue workers who entered the iconic cathedral to save priceless relics on April 15.
A photo of Fournier also has found its way to Twitter, with many social media users showing appreciation for what he has done.
Fournier has displayed this courage in the past. In 2015, he rushed inside the Bataclan music venue to help the wounded after the ISIS terrorist group launched an attack, claiming the lives of 90 people.
The priest is also a veteran of the French Armed Forces and survived an ambush while on duty in Afghanistan, which left 10 soldiers dead.
“The Crown of Thorns, the tunic of Saint Louis, and several other major works are now in a safe place,” Hidalgo said.
Additional rescued artwork will be transferred to the Louvre museum, the French culture ministry said.
A massive blaze broke out at the 850-year-old cathedral as it was undergoing renovations, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world. The fire, which engulfed the cathedral’s spire, causing it to collapse, then spread to one of its landmark rectangular towers. Fortunately, firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to the northern belfry, according to Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet.
The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, immortalized by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.”
World leaders were quick to respond to the fire that devastated the historic building.
“So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” wrote U.S. President Donald Trump in a tweet, later adding, “God bless the people of France.”
