The stone transformed by sweat to glory on the Île de la Cité is truly something to see. Its disappearance is truly something to mourn. But that splendid cathedral Notre Dame is so much more than a spectacle. It is best described, in my view, as an article of faith.

The faith that built the cathedral has rebuilt it many times. The faith is itself the cathedral’s preservation. Its qualities can be appreciated in isolation from faith, but the fact of the matter is that faith. Faith keeps it standing.