Notre Dame is a lesson in preserving what matters

The devastation and near total loss of Notre Dame has left Paris, and the world more broadly, in shock. But the fire bears the question: why wasn’t more care taken in the first place, asks Miranda Devine.

Could there be a more fitting allegory for our fallen age than a burning Notre Dame?

By the time we woke to the news yesterday, the glorious French cathedral had become a blazing crucifix in the darkness, filmed from on high by a drone.

We watched in horror as the spire was engulfed by crimson flames before it slowly teetered and collapsed.

RELATED: What we lost in the Notre Dame blaze

If any one object defines western civilisation, it is this 13th century symbol of Christianity in the heart of Paris, its Gothic spires reaching for the heavens, its beauty a human reflection of divine perfection.

A fire broke out on Monday afternoon that spread across the Cathedral, causing the famous spire to collapse. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty

It survived the French Revolution and two world wars, but it has only barely survived 21st century fecklessness.

Why didn’t the French take more care with the treasure they have been bequeathed by their forbears, and which they are entrusted to pass on to future generations?

RELATED: The significance of Notre-Dame, and how it helped Paris become a cultural capital of the world

Whether it was an accident or arson, which the Paris prosecutors so far have ruled out, someone has been incredibly negligent, and the buck ought to stop with the urbane President Macron, who lost no time putting out the begging bowl to the international community to help with restoration.

A spokesman for the cathedral said that the wooden structure supporting the roof was being gutted by the blaze. Picture: Fabien Barrau/AFP

It’s not the role of our government to stump up taxpayer money, as Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull seem to think. But it is a worthy cause for individuals if they wish to donate, since Notre Dame is a building for all of us, even Australians half a world away. It is part of our collective heritage, whether you’ve visited its hallowed grounds or have just heard of Victor Hugo’s hunchback.

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Its near destruction is a reminder of our own helplessness and the fragility of even the greatest human achievements on this earth.

@mirandadevine