PARIS (Reuters) – A procession of hundreds of people holding candles made its way through the streets of Paris to bring a famous statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus back to Notre-Dame Cathedral on Friday, five years after it was moved to a nearby church after a devastating fire.
Laurent Ulrich, archbishop of Paris, blessed the statue during the procession, as people prayed and sang hymns as they carried the statue, its base surrounded by white flowers, past Christmas trees and garlands displayed on the city’s streets just over a mile away. one month from the end of the year holiday.
“The Virgin remains, remains, although she is full of pain. We have just followed your journey, your return, reciting the rosary and the joyful mysteries. We remain happy about everything that happened after this fire. We remain happy about everything that has been experienced around this cathedral in the last five years”, said Ulrich.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral, a Paris landmark built over almost 200 years, starting in the mid-12th century, is set to reopen on December 8th with several days of festivities following the fire that devastated it on April 15th, 2019.
While French authorities have said that an electrical fault or a cigarette may have sparked the fire, it remains unclear exactly what caused it.
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