Saturday, April 20, 2019

On Holy Saturday, there are concerns about enough monies to carry out the rebuilding of Notre Dame Cathedral.

April 20, 2019
By Joel Shannon

Flowers (click here) are laid before Notre-Dame Cathedral on Tuesday, one day after a giant fire engulfed the landmark.

Days after a fire engulfed Paris' (click here) beloved Notre Dame Cathedral, fundraising efforts neared the $1 billion mark. But officials estimate the international surge in donations may not yet cover the rebuilding costs.

Stephane Bern, who heads heritage renovation programs across France, estimates the cost to completely repair the church will reach $1.13 billion to $2.3 billion.

A spokesman for the cathedral told CBS News that current donations may not cover those costs.

"We don't know if it's enough or not," Andre Finot said, the network reported Saturday. "You can say it's crazy to have a billion euros but we don't know. Maybe the cost is two or three billion."

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for Notre Dame to be rebuilt in five years. France, he said, would "convert this disaster into an opportunity." Architects say the repairs could take decades....