Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich celebrated it with the participation of 150 bishops and more than 100 priests from the French capital. French President Emmanuel Macron and other prominent guests, as well as 150 sick or socially dependent people, were also present at the mass. AFP reported, TASR writes.
At the beginning of the service, Ulrich consecrated a new altar table designed by designer Guillaume Bardet. It replaced the original one, which was destroyed five years ago – on April 15, 2019 – during a fire in the temple. Previously, the relics of five saints, whose lives are somehow connected with Paris, were placed in the altar.
The new robes worn by the bishops, priests and deacons of Notre-Dame on Saturday at the reopening of the cathedral and at the first mass were created by fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. The colors on the white chasubles evoke the stained glass windows of Notre-Dame. Large golden crosses also appear on all of them, evoking Marc Couturier’s cross, which remained standing in the destroyed cathedral after the fire.
Entrance to the mass was for invitees only, but groups of believers or tourists could watch it on large-screen screens in front of the cathedral. However, due to unfavorable weather, the interest in watching the ceremonies was less than expected.
Among the clergy invited to the first Mass in the renovated cathedral was Michel Aupetit, who was the archbishop of Paris in 2019 when the cathedral burned down, as well as Cardinal André Vingt-Trois. The end of the mass was accompanied by the peal of bells. After the services, a lunch will be served for people in need and for those who take care of them on a daily basis within the charity organizations of the Diocese of Paris.
The second Sunday mass is scheduled for 18:30 CET and will be open to the public. Around 2,500 people are expected to attend, having secured free tickets through the online booking system this week. The cathedral will open for visitors on December 16 through the online reservation system.
About 700 million euros have been spent on the reconstruction work so far, coming from donations from patrons and fundraisers. The five-year deadline for the reopening of the Church of the Mother of God has been met despite predictions that it could take decades. Renovation work – mostly exterior – will continue even after the reconstruction of the cathedral.
The exact cause of the 2019 fire has not been identified despite a forensic investigation by prosecutors who believe the most likely cause was an accident, such as a fault in the electrical wiring. Notre-Dame Cathedral welcomed about 12 million visitors a year before the fire. They are expected to be 14 to 15 million a year when they reopen.
