Among the guests are the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, who arrived early this Saturday morning (7) in the French capital, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky
Completely restored after the great fire of April 2019, the Cathedral reopens its doors to the world this Saturday (7), with the presence of almost 40 world leaders. Among the guests are the elected president of , who arrived early in the morning in the French capital, and the Ukrainian president , who arrived a few hours later. The two could meet in Paris, in what would be their first meeting since Trump won the presidential election in early November.
Other personalities present are Prince William, Prince Albert of Monaco, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden. Everyone will be received by French President Emmanuel Macron, who made the reconstruction of Notre-Dame a personal commitment and who is currently facing political difficulties. Pope Francis will not attend, as he has chosen to attend a religious congress in Corsica in 10 days’ time.
The complete renovation of the temple cost almost 770 million dollars (4.6 billion reais), paid for with donations from several countries, in particular the United States. “It’s magnificent and also very personal for me. And I think it’s fantastic that he (Trump) is here, and all these authorities”, Joe, 65, a visitor from Philadelphia, told AFP. Noëlle Alexandria, a Canadian tourist, told AFP that she had been near the cathedral since dawn and that she intended to stay there for as long as possible.
Weather conditions caused the suspension of the initial events in the square in front of the cathedral’s facade. Almost 1,500 guests will attend celebrations inside the temple. A musical show featuring French and international stars was recorded on Friday and will be shown after the ceremony.
More than 860 years of history
The Gothic cathedral, whose construction began more than 860 years ago, suffered a devastating fire on April 15, 2019. Images of the disaster shocked the world. The reopening represents another milestone in its eventful history, with the roof completely rebuilt, a clean nave, new and modern furniture and lighting that can be modulated thanks to LED lamps.
The organ, made three centuries ago, was dismantled, cleaned and reinstalled. Although the 60-meter-long nave appears immaculate white to the faithful, the adjacent chapels display spectacular colors, thanks to the meticulous work of hundreds of artisans.
The celebrations are expected to last six months, the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, told AFP. Notre-Dame scheduled thanksgiving masses for donors and workers who rebuilt the temple, among others. “It’s a cathedral like we’ve never seen before,” assured Philippe Jost, coordinator of the restoration project.
Security measures
The ceremony will begin at 7pm local time (3pm Brasília time), with the archbishop opening the doors. Monsignor Ulrich will knock on the doors three times with his crosier and, from inside the temple, the Notre-Dame choir will respond to the calls. President Emmanuel Macron will speak to the guests. Security measures are considerable: all accesses and bridges around the Île de la Cité, where Paris was born and where the cathedral was built, are blocked.
Guests will find the furniture, designed specifically for this new phase of the monument, such as the chairs, or the modern baptistry at the entrance to the nave, created by the artist Guillaume Bardet. In the background, behind the altar, another innovation: the reliquary where the Crown of Thorns is kept, a large disc of golden crystals with a cobalt blue center.
The awakening of the organ
Monsignor Ulrich will then proceed to “awaken” the organ. He will invoke it eight times and four organists on keyboards will successively improvise a musical response. Guests will hear a special message from Pope Francis and the choir will sing a “Magnificat” and a “Te Deum”. In the musical program, Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel will lead the ‘Radio France’ Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanied by Chinese pianist Lang Lang, South African soprano Pretty Yende and French-Swiss tenor Benjamin Bernheim.
After the ceremony, guests will be welcomed to an honorary banquet at the Élysée Palace. Two masses are scheduled on Sunday: at 10:30 am (6:30 am Brasília), again in the presence of civil and religious authorities, to consecrate the altar; and at 6:30 pm (2:30 pm Brasília time) for the public. The reopening of Notre-Dame is the culminating moment of a reconstruction process that mobilized French society and global public opinion.
Published by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from AFP
