A Fox News host was forced to hang up on the president of the Catholic League after the guest began ranting about how the fire at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris was ‘suspicious’.
Neil Cavuto was hosting his show on Fox News’ 4pm ET hour when he cut short the phone interview with Catholic League president Bill Donohue over his ‘conjectures’ about the fire.
‘Well, Neil, if it is an accident, it’s a monumental tragedy,’ Donohoe said. ‘But forgive me for being suspicious.’
Donohue added: ‘Just last month, a 17th-century church was set on fire in Paris. We have seen Tabernacles knocked down, crosses have been torn down, statues have been smashed.’
Neil Cavuto was hosting his show on Fox News’ 4pm ET hour when he cut short the phone interview with Catholic League President Bill Donohue over his ‘conjectures’
A firefighter is seen battling the blaze in Notre Dame on Monday. The fire is being investigated as accidental, though some Fox News guests tried to link it to recent anti-Christian crimes
Donohue was apparently referring to a March fire at St. Sulpice in Paris, which investigators are confident was arson, as well as other vandalism at French churches since the beginning of the year.
Cavuto interjected: ‘We don’t know that. So if we can avoid what your suspicions might be.’
‘I do want to look at what happened now,’ the host continued. ‘A very pricey rebuilding and renovation effort going on that involved a good deal of Catholic fundraising campaign I know in this country and abroad.
‘This renovation was paid for up front. So, in other words, all the monies were there. Now I’m wondering how much more the Catholic Church commits to this or do you think they now first want to get to the bottom of it?’
Wreckage from the burnt-out roof is seen in Notre Dame on Tuesday. Investigators are currently looking at the fire as accidental
But Donohue insisted on going back to his earlier point.
He responded: ‘First, they have to get to the bottom of it and they will rebuild it. There’s no question about that. They certainly, the Catholic Church will come up for the money for it, that’s not even a question. I’m sorry. When I find out that the Eucharist is being destroyed and excrement is being smeared on crosses.’
At that point, Cavuto discontinued the interview. ‘I love you, Bill, but we cannot make conjectures about this,’ he said.
‘I do want to let people know, and again we’re not trying to be rude to our guests here. There’s so much here we don’t know about what happened here,’ Cavuto continued.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but the early indications are that investigators are looking into it as an accident possibly caused during renovations that were underway.
Cavuto was not the first Fox News host who had to tamp down speculation about whether the fire was intentionally set.
A view of Notre-Dame Cathedral on Tuesday following a major fire yesterday in Paris, France. A fire broke out on Monday afternoon and quickly spread across the building
Hours earlier, host Shepard Smith had to cut off an interview with witness Philippe Karsenty, the deputy mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine.
‘It’s like a 9/11, a French 9/11,’ Karsenty declared during the interview. ‘It’s a big shock. This church was there for more than 850 years. You need to know that for the past years, we’ve had churches desecrated each and every week all over France. Of course, you will hear the story of the politically—the political correctness, which will tell you it’s probably an accident.’
Smith protested that he would not allow such speculation on air, but Karsenty persisted.
‘No, sir, we’re not doing that here, not now, not on my watch,’ Smith said, ending the interview. ‘The man on the phone with us has absolutely no information of any kind about the origin of this fire and neither do I.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk