French officials have confirmed that there will be no Christmas service at Notre Dame this year, for the first time since 1803.
Restoration work on the iconic Paris Cathedral continues, 8 months after the catastrophic fire. On April 15, the flames destroyed much of the Notre Dame de Paris, causing worldwide grief. The temple was left open for Christmas even in difficult times in history, including the Nazi occupation in World War II, the Guardian notes.
Emanuel Macron had set a five-year timetable for the completion of the restoration work on Notre Dame de Paris. Donations of almost 1 billion euros have been raised for this purpose, the French Ministry of Culture announced in October.