Zagreb Cathedral now safe to receive worshippers

Damir Lazarević, the author of the Zagreb Cathedral reconstruction plan, said on Tuesday that the cathedral, badly damaged in the 2020 earthquake, is now safe to receive worshippers and that there is no obstacle to holding the Midnight Mass there this year as well.

Damir Lazarević of the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Civil Engineering told public broadcaster HTV's main evening news bulletin that there are no remaining safety obstacles to Zagreb Cathedral reopening its doors to worshippers and visitors, possibly already for the Midnight Mass.

"As far as the construction profession, structural engineers and contractors are concerned, there are no more obstacles," he said.

All works required under the urgent measures have been completed, he added. Heavy scaffolding has been removed, and cleaning and preparing the interior is under way. "Safety is complete. The tunnel leading from the site entrance into the cathedral will also be finished soon," he said.

He also explained how much the cathedral has now been structurally reinforced compared with the period before the earthquake.

"It’s hard to express that in figures, but it is certainly safer than before 2020. Public safety is in no way at risk. If an earthquake were to occur during Mass, no one would be harmed," Lazarević said.

The key rehabilitation challenge, according to him, was the new steel spine.

“The key challenge was the new steel spine, which will not be visible to worshippers and visitors. It was necessary to harmoniously incorporate the new engineering solution that will fortify the structure to withstand earthquakes of up to 6.1 magnitude, as determined by seismologists. This means that citizens would be safe in the cathedral and around the cathedral in the event of a new earthquake such as the one in Zagreb or Petrinja,” he explained.

When completely restored, the cathedral might become an illustrative example of monumental heritage reconstruction.

“Our foreign colleagues already express interest in coming to see the reconstruction progress. According to many, it is one of the three most demanding rehabilitation projects of monumental heritage in the world,” he added.

Zagreb Archbishop Dražen Kutleša said yesterday that nearly six years after the earthquake, the Zagreb cathedral will reopen. When asked by the reporters when the cathedral would be accessible to worshippers, he responded that it would be announced in due time.

“And I believe it will happen in the near future,” Kutleša said, adding that Midnight Mass may be expected in the cathedral as well.

The Zagreb cathedral was severely damaged by the earthquake that struck Zagreb on March 22, 2020. The 5.5-magnitude earthquake caused the collapse of the top of the south tower, while the north tower was severely damaged and later removed for safety reasons. The vaults, walls and numerous stones and decorative elements were also damaged. The cathedral was subsequently closed, and a lengthy and demanding reconstruction process soon started.

Source: HINA

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