Montreal worshippers offered their prayers and held a moment of silence during a special mass after a fire ripped through the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Archbishop Christian Lépine organized the mass at the city’s Notre-Dame Basilica, which is inspired by the historic church in France. Before the altar and crowd of 200 people, he spoke of the massive blaze and the pain that France is enduring at this time.
“We can thank God that there were no victims,” he said on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Montreal city hall goes dark, church bells ring in tribute to Notre Dame Cathedral
France has vowed to rebuild the beloved Parisian landmark after the fire gutted the roof and ruined the spire. The main part of the cathedral has been saved, but French authorities have warned parts of it could still be at risk of collapse.
When asked if he had concerns about heritage Quebec churches, Lépine said many of them have modern alarm systems and they have video surveillance that would show the start of a fire early on.
Fire departments across the province are also in contact with the places of worship, he added.
“I can say for the moment that local firefighters are linked with the church, whether it’s a big church or a small church,” he said.
WATCH: French President Emmanuel Macron says he hopes to rebuild cathedral in five years
Will Quebec help rebuild the cathedral?
As monetary pledges rack up to contribute to France’s plan to rebuild the iconic cathedral, the Quebec government said on Tuesday it is also ready to lend a helping hand.
“The whole world has lost a jewel,” said Premier Francois Legault.
However, the province hasn’t provided more details on what that would entail or how much it would financially contribute.
READ MORE: Donors pledge 700M euros in less than 24 hours for Notre Dame cathedral reconstruction
Culture and Heritage Minister Nathalie Roy said she was saddened about the incident and that Quebecers are affected by what has happened to their French cousins. However, she stopped short of pledging money, saying she would have to discuss the idea with her colleagues at the National Assembly.
“We will talk together,” she said.
— With files from Global News’ Elysia Bryan-Baynes, Katie Dangerfield and The Canadian Press
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