A restored Notre Dame is a triumph for Christianity and the West

I have only seen the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris from a distance and in pictures, but I will never forget the sense of dread and grief that I felt watching the fire engulf this treasure of Christian and Western culture five years ago.

On Saturday, Notre Dame will reopen for the first time since that devastating fire in April 2019. Its iconic Gothic ceiling is now rebuilt in exactly the same way it was first built 800 years ago. The organ that was silenced by the conflagration will once again bellow its powerful notes that echo through the magnificent church, which stands as a monument to French and Christian history and culture. The newly restored and cleaned limestone gleams with a brilliance not seen in centuries.