- Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who’s multilingual, offered his condolences in French, following a massive fire at the historic Notre Dame Cathedral.
- Speaking to French-language news channel BFM TV on Monday evening, Buttigieg addressed the people of France and spoke about the cultural significance of the cathedral.
- His message earned praise on social media.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who’s multilingual, offered his condolences in French, following a massive fire at the historic Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday.
Speaking to French-language news channel BFMTV on Monday evening, Buttigieg addressed the people of France and spoke about the cultural significance of the cathedral.
“To the people of France, I would like to say that Notre Dame Cathedral was like a gift to the human race. We share in the pain but we also thank you for this gift to civilization,” he said to the channel.
« Au peuple de France je voudrais dire que la cathédrale Notre Dame, c’était comme un cadeau à l’espèce humaine. Nous partageons la douleur mais nous vous remercions aussi de ce cadeau à la civilisation. » @PeteButtigieg à @BFMTV
Et en français! 🇫🇷🇺🇸#NotreDame pic.twitter.com/0xbf5lGhYH— Cédric Faiche (@cedricfaiche) April 15, 2019
The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who officially announced his 2020 presidential campaign on Sunday, speaks seven languages.
Buttigieg received praise on social media for his comments on Notre Dame.
Bravo @PeteButtigieg c’est vrai! N’importe quelle religion, #NotreDame est tout à fait un cadeau à l’humanité. C’est pour ça que le monde entière pleure avec les peuple de la France et les Catholiques. Notre Dame était et continuera être un centre spirituelle pour tout le monde https://t.co/5hoM9bJcEh
— Louis Aguirre (@LOUISAGUIRRE) April 16, 2019
This dude is sending eloquent condolences to France in French. He's going to charm the planet. https://t.co/gXlzT7r51l
— Seth Abramovitch (@SethAbramovitch) April 16, 2019
Even Gérard Araud, the French ambassador to the US, weighed in.
Thank you Mayor @PeteButtigieg for this message and congratulations for your french! https://t.co/0zgnKq29OW
— Gérard Araud (@GerardAraud) April 16, 2019
The Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the most iconic monuments in Paris, caught fire on Monday. The flames caused major damage, and it remains unclear how the building caught fire. The blaze was said to be contained by early Tuesday.
Several politicians, including President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and European Council President Donald Tusk spoke out following the devastating fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted a message of unity on Monday night: "We will rebuild it. All together."
Though considered by some to be a longshot candidate, Buttigieg has gained a reputation as "the millennial candidate" and may have a chance at chipping away at some of front-runner Bernie Sanders' strong support from young voters, according to a new poll.
