The Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, officially reopened the Notre Dame Cathedral this Saturday with a rite that consisted of solemnly knocking on the doors by knocking with his cross and waiting for the response of the Gothic temple, which was sung by the choirs in inside, before crossing the threshold.
Specifically, the singers of Notre Dame have pronounced Psalm 121 of the Bible – “I lift up my eyes to the mountains; Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, creator of heaven and earth” – each of the three times the archbishop asked Notre Dame to open its doors.
The ceremony, which had to be readjusted due to the wind and rain and which began with the ringing of the cathedral bells, was attended by dozens of leaders from around the world, such as the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump. , and the first lady, Jill Biden; the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni or the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral occurs five years and seven months after a major restoration work after the 2019 fire and in which nearly 2,000 workers and 250 companies have participated. The ceremony takes place in three parts.
First of all, the “awakening” of the great organ, the largest in France, with 8,000 pipes and 115 registers. Secondly, the so-called “singing of the Office” takes place, a series of psalms and prayers, including the Lord’s Prayer. Next, the archbishop will give the final blessing and the choir will sing the ‘Te Deum’.
“We are here,” wrote the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, in the moments before the doors opened. “The world is watching us.”
After the devastating fire, the authorities managed to raise some 850 million euros in donations from nearly 340,000 donors in 150 countries, who have contributed significantly to what is considered by many to be the “work of the century.”
After the cathedral caught fire as horrified Parisians looked on, Macron promised not only to rebuild it within five years but to “make it even more beautiful.” Now, from the Elysée, they assure that it is an “objective achieved.”
Macron talks about historic day when meeting Trump and Zelensky
Macron has considered that this Saturday has been a “historic day” after having met Trump with Zelensky, whom he has asked to continue “common action for peace and security.” In a message on his for peace and security.”
This text is accompanied by an image of the three, who have been talking for just over half an hour, before participating in the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral, after five years of restoration due to the fire it suffered in April 2019.
In another previous message, Macron referred to his face-to-face interview with Trump and insisted on the “challenges” that they have to overcome together and on the “pride in the friendship” between their two countries.
The message also includes a short video of the beginning of the meeting of both leaders at the Elysée Palace, which took place a few dozen minutes before the start of the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which is the reason of the presence of the elected president of the United States in France.
In that video, Macron said he was “happy to welcome the president-elect, Donald Trump, to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame five years later. He was president when the cathedral burned.” “It is a great honor for the French,” he added, before noting the “solidarity” that Trump had expressed for the Notre Dame fire.
Trump, for his part, has highlighted the “very good relationship” he has had with the French president and explained how Americans love and respect the French. “Very honored to be here,” Trump told Macron, who also expressed his willingness to work with him and noted that “the world seems to be going crazy.” After three quarters of an hour face to face, the Ukrainian president added to the interview between the two
