Tears here as well.

I love you, France.

Art knows no national border...

We have not always deserved that in recent decades, I am ashamed to say.

It is my hope that America can somehow help Paris in the coming days and years.

And for all the world at having lost the most beautiful, famous cathedral in existence.

No words

as a commentator suggested this is a good thing to bring Parisians back to their religious roots. Religious fanatics have no sense of history or empathy.

...as I don't share his point of view, and I know he was trying hard to find a silver lining in this dreadful catastrophe. Roman Catholics worldwide must be trying to find meaning for this event during Holy Week -- the rest of us are just ahast at the loss of some of the most beautiful art and architecture ever created by the hands of humans. I don't hold anyone's grief against them.

Since Notre Dame Cathedral, which survived a Revolution and two World Wars, has now succumbed to your crack maintenance crew, recommend you NOT hire this crew to do any required maintenance on the Eiffle Tower! Just saying.

🇫🇷 🇺🇸

I NEVER SAW PARIS. i visited the UK in 2001. i have wanted to visit Paris for 50 years.

.......a few times. This is very sad to see, to say the very least. Sorry you've never had the opportunity to visit there, for it was an incredible cathedral.

but it'll never again be quite the same.

Now I never will see it. But the pictures show how great it was, and how proud the French should be that they built and maintained such a grand building.

When showing my sister Paris it is where we started. She called in tears.

Even though I am a freethinker we attended a Mass there is 2013 and it is one of the more memorable events I have had.

It will be rebuilt but I may not live to see it done. I hope they establish a fund for it repair. I will give.

I’ve felt like crying all afternoon. My wife is depressed. It may be her favorite spot in the world.

I have never been anywhere else where I felt such a deep sense of history. It took generations to build, those who started it knew they would never see the finished Cathedral and yet they carefully carved and laid every stone. The art, the relics, the organ, the stained-glass windows the soul of paris, I feel heart broken.

I'm sure many of us have stories and memories of the Cathedral. When I was in high school I was lucky to go to Paris on a high school tour. We rushed through the tour of the Cathedral, so I snuck away from the group and spent a whole afternoon there. I lit a candle for a relative and I went up the spiral staircase to be with the Gargoyles, a narrow staircase with the stone steps worn down from the innumerable footsteps over more than 6 centuries. Last time I was there the staircase was no longer open. I got in trouble with the tour leaders for sneaking off, but never regretted doing it in the least.

It was this time that year I was in Senlis staying with my host family over Easter. The Tuesday after I went to Paris for several days. I have a photograph of Paris at dusk taken from one of the towers. This is soul crushing.

Every part of Notre Dame was a treasure, from the marvel of its crypt to the top of the spire. Though it was many years ago, I remember climbing to the top of one of the towers for a view of Paris. It is just so difficult to imagine this building not being one of this wonderful city’s most iconic images.

Sad beyond words.

This is more than just a Catholic Cathedral it is a national treasure. I hope they can save the tower and bells and all the rest that hasn’t burned.

There's a word full of news and on the average day, they cover about 5 stories. With something like this, they stick with it non-stop. I wish their model was more to talk about some other word events and then come back to this every 15 minutes, or whatever.

I was a part of America's Youth in Concert. We had 300 youth in a choir and orchestra. It was an amazing experience. My heart is broken thinking of those memories.

We love you, and are so sad for you.

I'm an atheist, but I recognize the historical importance of Notre Dame Cathedral. And its beauty. I ache for the French people, who are justly proud of their beautiful building. It's a loss to the world as well.

Nous aimons bien les Francaises - tous! La gloire de Notre Dame est eternelle.

My heart breaks for your and the world’s loss. Feel very fortunate I had the honor of visiting there before this tragedy. 🙏

over the year, including my first trip when I was a child. I've attended mass there, and sung in a choir there.

Such a horrible loss.

Nous sommes tous diminués

for the loss of one of the world's historic treasures.

Mon coeur est brise.

Je pleure avec vous, mes chers amis francais.

Désolée

I do know the French will restore it, but watching it in flames is tearing me apart. Fifty years ago I lived and worked in Paris. The whole city is very dear to me.

All good Americans and peoples are with you.

I know that in a few years, Notre-Dame will shine again.

There's much that's been lost that can never truly be replaced. But nobody restores cathedrals - or historic buildings of any kind - like our friends in Europe.

It'll take time; but they'll get'er done.

from a little village called Lister, mourns with you. We also know that history will rise again.

This is a loss for France and her people, and it is a loss to the entire world.

I hope the entire world will rise up and help France rebuild such an incredible piece of history.

At least one website has already speculated that it might be used in the restoration

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/289565-notre-dame-is-burning-a-digital-archive-could-hold-the-key-to-restoring-it

Unfortunately, it seems that Dr. Andrew Tallon has passed away. There are some really interesting YouTube videos of him working in the cathedral.

hugs

We stand with you.

Switzerland and we here watched the fall of the spire with tears in our eyes. I am with all of France today.

But I also would like to remind everyone - as others also have tried to - that Notre Dame de Paris is neither lost nor gone.

It is the spirit of Paris and that spirit is still alive, even if wounded. Most of the cathedral structure and the bell towers are still standing and most of that structure is stone. Meetings and evaluations are already being held to discuss its reconstruction. Global fundraising has already begun.

France has lived through two devastating world wars, as well as autocratic rulers/tyrants, a cataclysmic revolution, and centuries of terrible religious and other conflicts. It has survived and will continue to.

Notre Dame will rise again!

But oh, how much I wish this hadn't happened!

And the structure still stands.

And this great historical jewel will be restored. It’s a World Treasure.

Reports this morning say that if the firefighters had arrived even 15-or-so minutes later than they did, Notre Dame might not have survived.

That photo of the gleaming cross still standing amidst the darkness and smoke and rubble kinda says it all.

It was hard to envision a rebuild at all. Today, we know that Our Lady will rise from these ashes, and that the world is already contributing to help France make it so, rich and poor alike, secular and Christian.

It is still making me tear up to think of it, and I will always wish I had been able to see Notre Dame in her glory, for at 71, I know it will not happen now.