by Nikolas Molina

On Monday, April 15th, the famous Notre Dame Cathedral was engulfed in a roof fire. Although it was a roof fire, it still damaged many sacred artifacts during the burning.

The fire was fueled by the surplus of wood due the the framework of the 13th century. building, according to Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, the cathedral’s rector.

The main artifact and most precious of the cathedral was saved, the Crown of Thorns. Some believe it was once placed on the head of Christ.  

A copper rooster that sat atop the spire was recovered intact, and Mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed the Tunic of Saint Louis and other major works were also saved.

“A number of artworks will be taken to the renowned Louvre art gallery in the coming days. A series of paintings, called ‘Mays de Notre Dame,’ will be transferred there as well,” stated CNN.

The facade and twin bell towers survived along with the cathedral’s main bell, Emanuelle.

The trio of rose windows that date back to the 13th century also survived. The original Great Organ, the cathedral’s altar and a golden cross are still intact amid the scorched debris from the blaze.

According to CBS News, a total of 16 rooftop statues were luckily removed a week before the fire. The statues depict the 12 apostles and four evangelists. Candelabras, gilded furniture and other valuable pieces retrieved from the Notre Dame Cathedral were taken to city hall in Paris after the fire.

The spire on top of the Notre Dame dramatically collapsed during the fire, and the relics inside the spire did not survive.

“What they didn’t save were the relics that were in the spire of the cathedral itself,” said Candida Moss, professor of theology at Britain’s University of Birmingham.

Due the damage caused to the cathedral, the cathedral fundraising efforts neared the $1 billion mark a couple days after the fire.

Multiple French billionaires joined an international effort to raise funds to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral. However, the donations have sparked a debate about income inequality and the worthiness of the cause, stated USA Today.

The discussion was sparked by two billionaires, Francois Henri Pinault and Bernard Arnault, who each donated more than $100 million to the efforts.

Cosmetics company L’Oréal, along with the Bettencourt Meyers family and the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation were other top donors to the cause.

The quote among the critics – from USA Today – stated that the mega-donations prove social problems could be quickly addressed if the wealthy were motivated to do so.

“If they can give tens of millions to rebuild Notre Dame, then they should stop telling us there is no money to help with social emergencies,” said The Washington Post’s Philippe Martinez.

“With a click of their fingers, TWO French billionaires have given €300 million to restore Notre Dame. Just imagine if billionaires cared as much about (uhhhh) human people,” said Carl Kinsella on Twitter.

Comments like this could backfire towards the rest of the public, because the very wealthy get a lot of scrutiny for hefty donations, which may lead to some not donating to charity organizations in the future.