(Minghui.org) Notre Dame Cathedral has a history of more than 800 years. The Paris landmark, a world-famous cultural heritage site and the pride of France, reopened on December 7, 2024. Activities continued for several days to celebrate the restoration of the ancient cathedral after it was damaged by fire on April 15, 2019.
This ancient Gothic church has upheld European Christian civilization, mankind’s yearning for Gods and righteous faith, and human history for more than eight centuries. It survived numerous disasters, as if with divine help, including the French Revolution, the Paris Commune Uprising, and World War II. However, it was almost ruined by fire during peacetime in April 2019. With its grand reopening, maybe we can pause to think about why Paris still stands and what we can learn from the traditional arts.
French national hero Marshal Pétain signed an armistice with the Germans and saved Paris from the devastation of war
French field marshal and military strategist Henri Philippe Pétain was born into a Catholic farming family in northern France in 1856 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the French army during WWI against the German Empire. Instead of focusing on major offenses, he advocated large-scale artillery suppression and launched a series of relatively low-cost offensives to weaken the enemy’s active troops. He often went to the front lines to listen to soldiers’ views and worked hard to improve their living conditions. His outstanding performance in the Battle of Verdun won him the honor of “the Lion of Verdun” and he became a national hero in France.
In May 1940 during WWII, Nazi Germany defeated France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and a few other countries with a “Lightning War” strategy. At the time of the national crisis, Pétain was appointed Prime Minister of France, as the French people were hoping their former hero would regain his glory and save France from destruction. However, in contrast with the nation’s hopes and expectations, Marshal Pétain started peace negotiations with Germany as soon as he entered office. He signed an armistice on June 22, 1940, which spared Paris, a famous city rich in culture and art, from the devastation of war.
“City Destroyer” General Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered to the Allies and stopped bombing Paris
The way Nazi Germany withdrew from Paris towards the end of WWII was also quite dramatic and out of character.
In August 1944, when Hitler foresaw his defeat, he sent General Dietrich von Choltitz to garrison Paris, to either defend the city or destroy it. The General was known for his strict execution of orders and was nicknamed “City Destroyer.”
Paris was piled with explosives, and even the torpedoes from submarines were unloaded and piled on the bridges of the Seine. However, at the last minute, Choltitz decided to surrender to the Allies and did not carry out Hitler’s order to destroy Paris. He left the city intact in the hands of the Allies, and once again, Paris escaped an imminent catastrophe.
Why did Marshal Pétain, a national hero who defended French territory at all costs in WWI, choose to sign an armistice with German aggressors without a fight in 1940 during WWII?
By the same token, why did Choltitz, a ruthless German general who destroyed countless ancient cities in Europe, risk his life to defy Hitler’s orders and surrender Paris to the Allies? He could have turned Paris into rubble in an instant, but he changed his mind at the last minute and kept Paris intact.
People with faith believe that everything in human society is under the dominion of God. Falun Gong’s founder Master Li Hongzhi explained in “Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art” in 2003,
“France didn’t directly get involved in World War II because God’s purpose was to preserve the only works of art of this human civilization, which were in France. They are also the most glorious, what mankind can be the most proud of, and truly the most upright, traditional, and perfect pieces of art of mankind in this human civilization. If battles were to break out there, the works of art kept in the Louvre and Versailles would be gone, and the art on the streets of Paris would be gone too. Gods wanted to leave those few little things behind for mankind so that in the future human beings would still be able to use them as references and find human beings’ own art again. In addition, Dafa disciples would also be able to find their way back, based on the foundational skills of those traditional, upright works of art.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art,” Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Writing Music and Creating Fine Art)
Why do Gods want to keep traditional orthodox culture for humanity? This is because such art and culture were bestowed upon human beings by Gods. The purpose of this is explained in the same Fa teaching,
“You should know that mankind’s true arts first appeared in the temples of Gods. Another purpose of Gods’ passing on this aspect of culture to human beings was to let humans see the magnificence of Gods, and believe in goodness and evil receiving their due--evildoers will receive retribution, good people will receive blessings, and cultivators will go up to Heaven. The appearance of Western arts all began in churches. Statues in the East in the early times were almost all of Gods, and the most ancient and the earliest paintings passed down in China were all of Gods.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art,” Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Writing Music and Creating Fine Art)
On the other hand, it is also worth pausing to think about why Paris was saved during wartime, yet a famous cathedral was devastated by fire during peacetime.
To reflect on ourselves, when we visit Notre Dame Cathedral, how many of us go there to truly venerate the relics of the passion of Christ with a devout heart? How much do we appreciate the murals imbued with divinity with respect and admiration? Are we looking for the footprints of Gods and the memory of heaven with a heart of kindness, or just treating the visit as another modern-day commercial tourist place?
Media reports mention how much money was spent on the reconstruction of the cathedral and how many millions of tourists it attracts every year. When the sacred cathedral is used as a tourist attraction and a place to make money, and when the endless stream of tourists no longer revere the divine in their hearts, how can human beings not commit blasphemous acts, thereby creating karma and defiling the sacred cathedral?
Gods have always been taking care of and protecting humans, and leaving them with the traditional orthodox arts. Paris remained intact and the Notre Dame Cathedral was restored so that people can maintain unwavering faith in Gods and return to higher realms in the end. But we as human beings need to think about the deeper reason behind the cathedral fire.