Author: Kathy Clubb

note: copyrighted images are not included in this post – click through to the original articles to see photographs of the restoration and liturgical furnishings.

It was not surprising to learn that some disturbing occult motifs have been integrated into the newly-restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. While much of the restoration was entirely in keeping with its historic past and Catholic tradition, the innovations are startling enough to make us wonder what role the church is meant to play in the ongoing destruction of the Catholic Faith.

The Phoenix

The first motif sets the scene for the rest of the tour: the rooster which once sat atop the Cathedral has been replaced by the phoenix, an occult symbol. Most are familiar with the Greek myth of the phoenix rising from the ashes, but as a symbol, it is far older, originating in the mystery religions of ancient Egypt. Several pagan religions have used the phoenix to represent transformation and renewal including the Native American Thunderbird, Russian Firebird, and Chinese Fèng Huáng.

Some occultists go further, equating the phoenix with Lucifer: venerating him as the angel who fell into the flames and will one day rise again to rule the earth. Arch-occultist, Aleister Crowley wrote a sacrilegious Thelemic ritual called the ‘Mass of the Phoenix,’ and the phoenix is also employed in Masonic symbolism.

The phoenix motif is one that has been repeated many times of late, most notably in the case of Trump ‘rising up’ from the injury sustained during his assassination attempt (which possibly foreshadowed his ‘rising up’ to be re-elected as President.)

The symbolism of the phoenix has not been lost on the media, with outlets entitling their reports on the Cathedral’s reopening in terms of ‘Phoenix from the Ashes’ and similar headlines. The bird’s designer, the Chief Architect of the project, Philippe Villeneuve, certainly had this theme in mind. He describes his creation as the rooster ‘reimagined’ to represent a phoenix carrying the ‘fire of resurrection’ to Notre Dame. In a very telling comment, Villeneuve explained that the design process was “so intense he might have to speak to his “therapist” about it.”

The Liturgical Furnishings

The ‘phoenix from the ashes’ theme was taken up by a writer interviewing Guillaume Bardet, the sculptor of Notre Dame’s creepy liturgical furnishings: the altar, lectern, cathedra with seats, tabernacle, and baptistery.

Bardet’s explanation of bronze, his material of choice, sounds like the fascination of an alchemist: ” it looked like a liquid sunshine filled with an extraordinary presence like a mysterious energy emanating from the bottom of the earth.”

Bardet reveals that, strangely, even before the fire, he had already come up with designs for Notre Dame:

In April 2019, I was finalizing my previous exhibition at [a French gallery] when Notre-Dame started going up in flames. In front of me was a large bronze table I had called The Last Supper : it was surrounded by twelve bronze stools, each named after an apostle. The opening evening, a few friends joked (seriously) that I had designed Notre-Dame’s future altar. When Notre-Dame called for creative projects, I felt legitimate to apply. Most of the objects and furniture I had in mind; some of them I had even sketched years before.

By sheer coincidence, the Chief Architect, whose brainchild was the rooster-come-phoenix mentioned above, had also had dreams of building Notre Dame: he made a model of the cathedral as a child.

In another article, Bardet exposes the Masonic, ecumenical agenda behind his designs, which also contains overtones of so-called ‘Synodality’:

‘They should resonate with conviction for Catholics and captivate the attention of non-Christians. Each element carries its own distinct identity, symbolism, and purpose, yet together they form a cohesive ensemble that engages in a meaningful dialogue.

An article on the restoration, written by a traditional Catholic, sheds some light on the theology underpinning the changes. Rita Stewart notes the connection between several ambiguous Vatican II documents and Bardet’s designs and explains his desire to “remove everything that is not necessary, and to arrive at the essential, and so the essential is that it is poor.” This sounds very much like the philosophy which gave us the Catacombs Pact.

Stewart also notes that the baptistery has the form of a circle with a central point – a classic Masonic/occult symbol.

The Vestments

The clown-like vestments worn by clergy at the Opening Mass are the ongoing focus of jokes and memes. Was their inclusion meant to point to some sort of humiliation ritual for the Catholic Church? They certainly gave the impression of something that cannot be taken seriously. Then, what can be expected from sa designer who has created costumes for Illuminists like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé or Katy Perry?

According to the designer, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, his vestments represent “the rebirth of Notre Dame,” harking back to the phoenix’s theme of transformation. 

The Reliquary

In a similar way, the reliquary for the Crown of Thorns makes a joke of Catholicism. It is extremely tacky, not worthy of its role as a backdrop to a true relic of the Passion. Described by Rita Stewart as looking like ‘target practice at a shooting range’, the sculpture is completely out of place – except perhaps to the occultists. For them, the renovations obviously have a far darker meaning than anything that can be surmised here.

Let us pray for France, the first daughter of the Church, that She does indeed experience a re-birth, in the form of a return to traditional Catholicism.