Fireman, priest and hero: who is the man who saved the crown of thorns of Our Lady in the midst of the flames

The fire that destroyed part of the iconic Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral He also threatened to devastate some of his most important relics of construction like the crown of thorns, the Blessed Sacrament and the tunic of San Luis.

But, fortunately, all could be saved from the flames.

Many works could remain intact thanks to the action of "a human chain", in the words of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, consisting of firefighters, security guards, the archbishop's team and technicians from the French Ministry of Culture.

In this operation to save the relics, the performance of Jean-Marc Fournier, chaplain of the firefighters of Paris, who went to the building in flames with a team of firefighters except the Blessed Sacrament and the crown of thorns. The religious is already considered a hero for a lot, since his performance was the key to saving these items of incalculable value.

The French priest who helped the wounded during the terrorist attack against the Bataclán Theater in Paris in November 2015 and who survived an ambush in Afghanistan, was one of many heroes who managed to save the treasures of the fire of Notre-Dame Cathedral, located on the small island of La Cité, surrounded by the waters of the Seine.

Hearing the news, Jean-Marc Fournier He ran straight to the cathedral with one purpose: to save the Blessed Sacrament from the altar and crown of thorns from the temple.

It was to be feared that the two religious objects would be lost when the flames enveloped the medieval building, but the father Fournier is badured that they are taken to a safe place.

Etienne Loraillere, editor-in-chief of the KTO Catholic television channel in France, said on Twitter that Fr Fournier "went with the firefighters to Notre Dame Cathedral"

This was confirmed by a source from the emergency department who said: "Father Fournier is an absolute hero. He showed no fear, going directly to the relics inside the cathedral and making sure to save them. He deals with life and death every day and shows no fear. "

One of the most precious objects of the cathedral is the crown of thorns, which would have been used by Jesus of Nazareth before his crucifixion. The other object saved is the San Luis Tunic, which would have belonged to King Luix IX (1214-1270), last European monarch to be engaged in a crusade to recover Jerusalem.

On November 13, 2015, Father Fournier rushed inside the Bataclan music venue in Paris, when ISIS murdered 89 people. The modest chaplain prayed for the dead and comforted the wounded and loved ones of the victims.

Father Fournier, 50, began his career as a Catholic priest in Germany, then in Sarthe in France. He joined the Diocese of the Armed Forces in 2004 and spent seven years working with the military worldwide. In Afghanistan, he was involved in an ambush in which 10 soldiers were killed.