Notre Dame’s Rector: 50% Chance It Can’t Be Saved

USA Today reports:

France’s Notre Dame Cathedral, which failed to host Christmas services Wednesday for the first time in more than 200 years, may never recover from the devastating fire that collapsed the roof and an iconic spire, its rector said.

Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said the church, which dates back more than 800 years, has been left so fragile that there is a 50% chance it can’t be saved. The actual restoration probably won’t even begin this year because of conservation work aimed at rescuing the structure, he said.