Hard hats: Archbishop Michel Aupetit continues to lead services from the Notre Dame cathedral. Photo / AP, Karine Perret.
Hard hats: Archbishop Michel Aupetit continues to lead services from the Notre Dame cathedral. Photo / AP, Karine Perret.
Vienna's famous Dominican Church was saved from possible disaster after a tourist spotted two confessional boxes on fire and doused the flames with holy water.
Austria's KAP Catholic news agency reported Wednesday the extent of the damage from the suspected arson at the church, also known as the Church of St. Maria Rotunda, wasn't immediately clear.
But the prior of the Dominicans in Vienna, Guenter Reitzi, said it could have been much worse.
Vienna Dominican church: Two confessional boxes were set on fire in suspected arson. Photo / Getty Images
Reitzi told KAP, "I'm just grateful the fire did not continue to spread."
Vienna's fire department told The Associated Press that it responded to the call on June 12 and by the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had been put out.
Police are investigating but had no immediate details about the nationality of the tourist.
Notre Dame: Our lady in waiting
Fresh concerns over fires in Europe's historic churches were sparked when a devastating fire ravaged Paris's Notre Dame cathedral in April. Damage from which the medieval cathedral is yet to recover.
The billionaire French donors who promised flashy donations to rebuild Notre Dame after a devastating fire haven't paid a penny yet toward the restoration of the French national monument, AP reported.
Instead, it's been mainly pubic donations from individuals, via charitable foundations at Notre Dame, who have made the first contributions, paying the bills and salaries for the up to 150 workers employed by the cathedral since the April 15 fire. This month, the foundations are handing over the first private reconstruction payment of NZ$6 million.
Waiting on salvation: The money pledged to restore Notre Dame has yet to materialise. Photo / KTO, via AP
Almost NZ$1.52 billion was promised by France's richest families and companies, but officials say those donors are holding back, waiting for plans to become more concrete so they can choose where their money is spent.
Two workers have been dedicated to cleaning toxic lead dust from the forecourt. Cathedral officials say they will partially open the forecourt to the public by the end of June so tourists can once again see the cathedral's facade.
Preliminary work: 150 workers employed by the cathedral since the April 15 fire. Photo / AP, Philippe Lopez
They are considering moving one of Notre Dame's most famous statues, the Virgin of Paris, temporarily into the forecourt for display, perhaps in a glass cabinet. Cathedral officials say 14 million people visit Notre Dame each year, and tourist guide groups are still passing through the Ile de la Cite, the island on which Notre Dame is located.
