16 April 2026

It’s seven years since Notre Dame de Paris went on fire. President Macron declared on the night of the fire that it would be rebuilt. It was very successfully rebuilt in five years. What was immediately striking was the affection in which the cathedral was held by the French nation whether believers or not.

In response to this tragedy, Ken Follett wrote a short book about Notre Dame with the subtitle ‘A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals’. ‘I’m not a religious believer, yet despite that I go to church.’ he wrote. Why? 'l love the architecture, the music, the words of the Bible and the sense of sharing something profound with other people.’

There were two other reasons. ‘I have long found deep spiritual peace in the great cathedrals, as do millions of people, believers and non-believers alike.’ In addition, he wrote, ‘My love of the cathedrals inspired the novel that is certainly my most popular book and probably my best.’

In his book, he asks an unusual question. ‘How did such majestic beauty arise out of the violence of filth of the middle ages?’ His conclusion is that the weather changed. From 950-1250, the weather was better than usual. As a result harvests were more plentiful. There was money to spare to build cathedrals!

Follett makes interesting observations about the people who built the great cathedrals. They were nomads travelling across Europe in search of work. They came to Paris from Italy, the Netherlands, England. It was an international community. And their number included women too. They were plasterers and mortar-makers.

They frequently worked as a family team. It was dangerous work with shooglie scaffolding. And it took a long time. Bishop Maurice began thinking about his new cathedral in 1163. It was completed in 1260 but he died sixty-four years before it was finished! People don't always see the fruits of their labour. 'One sows and another reaps.' as Jesus says.