Every Christian church is defined by its cross. Rather than its spire, Notre Dame flies its flag on the "prow" of the cathedral, where the roof of the nave points towards the river Seine.
I wonder whether the secular politics of the age influenced Viollet le Duc's choice of a French cockerel to top the spire in 1859, replacing the medieval original which had been removed a century prior.
Evidently the cross had to wait until 2024 for the roof to be completed, but it also had to play second fiddle to the workmen's traditional flower bouquet which had been affixed to the new completed roof. In fact, even after installation, it shared its spot with the bouquet until the Summer.
Now it declares its message alone and newly glittering with its fanciful form.