France celebrated the opening of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral with a special church service.
The two-hour service, attended by future US President Donald Trump among other world leaders, began with a knock on the cathedral's door by the Archbishop of Paris.
"Notre Dame, model of faith, open your doors to gather in joy the distant children of God," commanded Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, striking with a wooden staff made from a roof beam that survived the inferno five years ago.
Trump sat in the front row as the guest of honor next to French President Emmanuel Macron, as guests marveled at the beauty of the cathedral.
In a brief speech, Macron expressed the "gratitude of the French nation" for the restoration work carried out over the past five years. France has “rediscovered what great nations can do – achieve the impossible,” he said.
“Merci”
One of the most moving moments came when firefighters in protective gear walked through to thunderous applause as the word “Merci” (“Thank you”) was written on the facade and famous bell towers of the Gothic masterpiece.
Small crowds of Parisians and tourists braved the streets to witness the renaissance of the monument, which had been on the brink of collapse due to the intensity of the inferno that tore off its roof.
The restoration cost around 700 million euros, raised through donations.
Workers have had to overcome problems related to lead pollution, the Covid-19 epidemic and the death of the army general who oversaw the project during a hike in the Pyrenees last year.
The service featured classical music, the cathedral choir and the “waking up” of the 8,000-pipe organ, considered the “voice and soul” of the cathedral.
A planned televised concert featuring Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang and possibly American singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams had to be pre-recorded on Friday night because of the stormy weather.
“The world is going crazy”
The rebuilding of Notre Dame so soon after the fire comes at a difficult time for the country, which Macron has held up as an example of French creativity and resilience.
The sense of national achievement in rebuilding the Paris icon has been undermined by political turmoil that has left France without a stable government since last week, when Prime Minister Michel Barnier lost a confidence vote.
Macron hopes the cathedral’s reopening can provide a fleeting sense of national pride and unity — as the Paris Olympics did in July and August.
It was a huge success, drawing Trump along with about 40 heads of state and government, including Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who received a standing ovation as he entered Notre Dame.
Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the presidential palace shortly before the ceremony, with the three discussing the war in Ukraine. Trump pledged to end the nearly three-year-old full-scale war when he took office on January 20.
“It seems like the world is a little crazy right now, and we’re going to talk about that,” Trump said before sitting down at the table for talks with Macron.
One of the surprise absentees was Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church.
He sent a message addressed to the French people and weighed in on the debate over whether the place of worship and tourist attraction should remain open to visitors.
The “huge” number of people who will visit Notre Dame should be welcomed “generously and free of charge,” he said, clearly opposing the French culture ministry’s proposal to introduce a fee.
The exact cause of the 2019 fire has never been established despite a major investigation by prosecutors, who believe the most likely cause was an accidental incident, such as an electrical fault.
The first mass, attended by 170 bishops and more than 100 Parisian priests, will take place at 10:30 a.m. local time on December 8, followed by a second service in the evening at 6:30 p.m., which will be open to the public. | BGNES, AFP
