Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral Reopens After 2019 Fire

Frenchmen and world leaders made a visit to Paris on Saturday (Dec. 7) to witness the reopening of the city’s Notre Dame Cathedral after its lead and timber roof was destroyed by fire in April 2019. 

In a special coverage by public broadcaster France 24, a special vespers service was held as politically beleaguered French president Emmanuel Macron, who vowed to rebuild the cathedral in five years’ time, ceremoniously handed over the edifice to the Archdiocese of Paris, headed by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich. 

Ulrich ceremoniously opened the cathedral’s western entrance to begin the ceremony, complete with the tolling of bells and the recitation of some Psalm passages from the Christian Bible. Macron, accompanied by his wife Brigitte and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, then entered the cathedral.

A special ceremonial episcopal staff called a crozier was used to knock on the cathedral’s doors. The crozier was said to be created from pieces of the timber roof that survived the 2019 fire.

It is understood that the ceremony was supposed to begin outside the cathedral, but inclement weather in the French capital prevented such plans, forcing the organizers to have Macron speak inside the cathedral.

Teamwork, Gratitude Highlights Ceremony

In a speech preceding the religious service, Macron stated that the rebuilding of the Notre Dame Cathedral was not just a message to the French people but also to the world that the power of faith, humility, and collective effort made the impossible possible. 

“The bells of Notre-Dame are ringing again,” he said. “I stand before you to express the gratitude of the French nation, our gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt the cathedral.” 

Prior to his speech, the firefighters and other people involved with rescuing the cathedral and its priceless treasures, including alleged fragments of the Crown of Thorns that was worn by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion, were applauded while special lighting outside the building displayed the word “merci” (French for “thank you”). 

The cathedral’s grand organ, one of the most famous to be ever created in the world, also roared back to life at Ulrich’s blessing and led into the recitation of certain antiphons like the Magnificat of the Virgin Mary and the “Te Deum,” a doxology written by late Roman period bishop Ambrose of Milan, whose feast day as a Christian saint coincided with Notre Dame’s reopening. 

After the service, both the organ and the bells were sounded, while the Eiffel Tower — Paris’s other famous landmark — lit up in celebration. 

Notre Dame de Paris, as the cathedral is commonly called, was built beginning in 1163 at the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine River that is considered the heart of the French capital. It is considered to be one of the most iconic Gothic structures ever to be constructed, but fell into disrepair during and since the French Revolution. The efforts of author Victor Hugo, who wrote “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” renewed interest in the restoration of the cathedral. 

World Leaders, Billionaires in Attendance

Several world leaders and other influential people were spotted during the ceremony, prompting tight security measures in and around the cathedral. 

Sitting in between the Macrons was US President-elect Donald Trump, who was said to have had a “good and productive” meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy regarding the war in the latter’s country against Russia. Outgoing US First Lady Dr. Jill Biden was also in the front row on behalf of her husband Joe. 

Former French presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, were also present.

Members of Europe’s ruling royal houses were also in attendance, such as Britain’s William, Prince of Wales (on behalf of his father Charles III) and Belgium’s King Philippe. Trump reportedly shook Prince William’s hand as he made his way to his seat and the BBC reported that the two had a meeting together at the British embassy in Paris after the service. 

Also present in the ceremony was tech billionaire Elon Musk, who shared a video of the cathedral’s interior on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which he currently owns.

Magnificat Cathédrale @NotreDameParis⁩ pic.twitter.com/NIqb6yNxc5

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2024

Lebanese-Mexican actress Salma Hayek and her French husband François-Henri Pinault, as well as Bernard Arnault, France’s richest man and one of the major donors of the cathedral’s restoration effort, were also spotted to be present during the service.

Macron was expected to host Trump and some of the world leaders in a dinner following the service at the presidential residence Elysee Palace.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that a number of American expatriates in Paris and several pro-Palestine supporters protested Trump’s presence during the reopening ceremony, saying that Macron’s invitation to the president-elect, who won in November against Kamala Harris, was “shameful and sad” given Trump’s alleged criminal charges, which has since been dismissed.

Notably absent is Pope Francis, who earlier that day created 21 new cardinals at the Vatican. However, a message addressed to Ulrich and read by the papal nuncio to France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, wished the French church the best as it reflects on the destruction and rebuilding of Notre Dame. 

“Dear faithful of Paris and France, this house, which our Heavenly Father inhabits, is yours: you are its living stones,” the supreme pontiff’s message said in part. “I know, Your Excellency, that the doors will be wide open for [everyone], and that you will welcome them generously and freely as brothers and sisters.”

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, technically acts as papal legate in Francis’s absence. He told American media that he would be concelebrating the first Sunday Mass held inside the cathedral since 2019 on Dec. 8.