00:00Did the Pope really snub Emmanuel Macron over Notre Dame's windows?
00:09Emmanuel Macron went viral last week for the iconic sunglasses he wore at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
00:16But the French President was also subject to viral claims of a different kind.
00:20This post, Onyx and many like it, claim that Pope Leo cancelled a meeting that he was due to have with Macron in early January over his disapproval of the Notre Dame Cathedral's new stained glass windows.
00:32The Pope will allegedly remove the Archbishop of Paris from his seat because Notre Dame is the property of God rather than the state,
00:40and says the atmosphere between France and the Vatican has become detestable and unhealthy.
00:45All this might sound dramatic, perhaps overly so, and that's because none of it is true.
00:51France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs clearly rejected the claims on Onyx, stating that the meeting is still being arranged.
00:58In a tongue-in-cheek response, it's said that aligning the Pope and the President's agendas remains one of the greatest mysteries,
01:05and that they'd get a nice photo out of it when it does happen.
01:08The Vatican has said more or less the same thing, explaining that efforts to schedule a meeting are ongoing,
01:14and that none of the issues raised online are the reason.
01:17Notre Dame's new stained glass windows have been the subject of controversy, though.
01:21Following the 2019 fire that destroyed much of the iconic cathedral, new windows were proposed as part of restoration efforts.
01:29Supporters say that the new designs represent Notre Dame's rebirth, and reference traditional biblical stories in a contemporary style.
01:36Critics, however, argue that the windows clash with its historical character, denounce potential political influence by Macron,
01:43and claim that the windows don't need replacing as the original survived the fire.
01:48PLAY THE FIRE
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