The meaning of the installation of a rooster over Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is explained: “The fire of the resurrection”

The new golden rooster at Notre Dame Cathedral marks a turning point in the restoration of Notre Dame. With the help of a crane, a weather vane is being installed, symbolizing resurrection, resilience and hope after the devastating fire of 2019 of one of the main objects of the French capital.

The crane’s installation of Notre Dame Cathedral’s new golden rooster, reimagined as a dramatic phoenix with fiery feathers enveloping it, goes beyond a simple weather vane atop Notre Dame’s spire, the Associated Press notes.

It symbolizes resilience in the face of destruction following a devastating fire in April 2019 – as restoration officials also said a fire safety system was being installed under the cathedral’s roof.

Chief architect Philippe Villeneuve, who designed the new rooster, said the survival of the original was a ray of light in a disaster.

“This means that there was hope that all was not lost. The beauty of the (old) damaged rooster… expressed the cry of the cathedral engulfed in flames,” Villeneuve said. He called the new piece of art, about half a meter long, sparkling in the December sun behind Notre Dame Cathedral, his “phoenix.”

Philippe Villeneuve elaborated on the significance of the new rooster, saying: “After the fire, we worked on this successor rooster, in which the flame rises to the top of the cathedral, as it was before, more than 96 meters from the ground… This is the fire of resurrection.”

In light-hearted comments, the architect said the design process was so intense that he might have to talk to his therapist about it.

Before ascending to its roost, the rooster – the French emblem of Christ’s vigilance and resurrection – was blessed by the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Houlrich, in the square behind the monument. The rooster is the emotional national emblem of the French because of the semantics of the word; The Latin word gallus means both Gaul and rooster.

Ulrich placed sacred relics in the hole inside the rooster’s chest, including fragments of Christ’s Crown of Thorns and the remains of Saint Denis and Saint Genevieve, giving the sculpture religious significance.

The Crown of Thorns, considered the most sacred relic of Notre Dame Cathedral, was among the treasures that were quickly removed after the fire. Brought to Paris by King Louis IX in the 13th century, it is said to have been placed on the head of Christ during the crucifixion.

The sculpture also included a sealed tube containing a list of the names of nearly 2,000 people who contributed to the cathedral’s reconstruction, highlighting the collective effort behind the work.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the site last week to mark the one-year countdown to its re-opening, announced that the original rooster would be displayed in a new museum at the Hotel-Dieu.

The move, along with plans to invite Pope Francis to the cathedral’s re-opening next year, underscores Notre Dame’s significance in French history and culture.

The installation of a rooster, crowning the spire, reconstructed from a 19th-century design by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, is a striking reminder of its medieval origins as a symbol of hope and faith, the Associated Press emphasizes. Its long association with the French nation since the Renaissance further enhances its historical and cultural significance, marking a new chapter of renewal and hope for Notre Dame and the French people.