Mass was heard again this Sunday at Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, breaking the ‘silence’ of more than five years imposed by the fire that devastated the place in April 2019.
The Catholic celebration was attended by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and brought together 150 bishops and priests from 106 Parisian parishes.
During this ceremony, accessible only by invitation, Dom Ulrich, Archbishop of Paris, blessed the water with which he sprinkled the place, in a sign of purification to mark the sacred use, and he greeted the faithful “with intense emotion” regardless of whether they were present or “in front of a screen, perhaps even in the rain”.
“I also pray for our country, which examines its future with concern”added the religious man, to the guests who arrived an hour before the start of the ceremony.
At , everyone found, placed on the minimalist chairs, a little blue book decorated with a representation of the Virgin, who in the Catholic tradition is the mother of Jesus, and with a summary of the liturgy of this inaugural week.
The mass began with the procession of the banners of the 106 parishes of the diocese of Paris, accompanied by the melody of choirs and the sound of an organ.
At 6:30 pm local time (5:30 pm Lisbon) the first mass open to the general public will take place, which will guarantee a place by registering in advance.
On Saturday, around 40 heads of state and government, members of European royalty and prominent political figures were present.
With this reopening, Macron, who launched the challenge of restoring the cathedral, I wanted to create a “shock of hope” in a country plunged into a deep political crisis, since the approval of the Government’s motion of censureon Thursday.
The President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, Prince William of the United Kingdom, but also the American businessman Elon Musk or the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, were some of the many guests.
Emmanuel Macron took the opportunity to meet with Zelensky and Trump, in a tripartite meeting that lasted around 30 minutes at the Elysee Palace.
