US President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Paris on Saturday, where he will participate in the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was restored after a fire in 2019, AFP reported, citing a source from the Paris airport. According to BFM TV, First Lady Jill Biden will represent the United States at the cathedral’s opening ceremony.
Trump, whose trip to Paris is his first visit abroad since winning the election, arrived at Orly airport in the south of Paris aboard a private jet just before 07:00 CET, the source, who did not wish to be named, said.
Before attending the ceremonial opening of the renovated Church of the Mother of God, he is to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and it is possible that he will also meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
More than a thousand distinguished guests will visit Notre-Dame
Among the 1,500 prominent guests who will attend the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame will be King Philip of Belgium, King Philip VI of Spain. and approximately 30 other heads of state and government. British King Charles III. and Queen Camilla did not travel to Paris due to convalescence after illness, so the British crown will be represented by Prince William.
The ceremonial opening of the cathedral is scheduled for Saturday at 19:00 CET. As part of it, a message from Pope Francis and a speech by French President Macron will be heard, Le Parisien reported on its website.
A film about the events of the fire on April 15, 2019, the causes of which have not yet been determined, will also be broadcast. The video will pay tribute to the people who saved this cathedral from destruction during the liquidation of the fire, as well as to the builders who renovated the Gothic temple. This secular part will be followed by religious ceremonies, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich. The service will be held in three parts: it will consist of the blessing of the organ, the singing of the office, the blessing of the archbishop and the singing of the hymn Te Deum.
On Sunday at 10:30 a.m. CET, the cathedral will host an inaugural mass with the consecration of the main altar. It will be chaired by Archbishop Ulrich of Paris. Almost 170 bishops from France and the whole world will be present, as well as priests from 106 parishes of the Diocese of Paris and seven Catholic churches of the Eastern Rite, accompanied by the faithful.
The first mass for the public will be on Sunday at 18:30 CET. Without the need to reserve a tour date, the cathedral will be accessible from Monday, December 9, from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. From Monday, December 16, the cathedral will return to its usual opening hours – it will be open from 07:45 to 19:00.
