A religious ceremony organized in tribute to Jean-Marie Le Pen by his family is to be held this Thursday, January 16 at the Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce church in Paris. Several safety measures are planned to avoid overflows.
It is a final tribute paid to Jean-Marie Le Pen by his loved ones. After a private funeral organized in “strict family privacy”, but still bringing together 200 people, a religious and public ceremony is planned for Thursday, January 16 in Paris. Meet at 11 a.m. at the Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce church, in the 5th arrondissement of the capital.
Jean-Marie Le Pen’s three daughters – Marine, Marie-Caroline and Yann – are at the origin of this ceremony which must welcome a large crowd. The church can accommodate up to 480 guests, but several thousand people are expected according to estimates from the National Rally (RN), which sent a press release to members and activists to inform them of the tribute, reports RTL. Among the expected names, those close to Jean-Marie Le Pen such as the former deputy Bruno Gollnisch who was already present at the funeral or the former vice-president of the RN Alain Jamet.
If the religious ceremony will take place within the church, it will be broadcast on two giant screens installed in the large courtyard to allow people who have come to worship in front of the facade of the building.
A reference to Le Pen’s military past
The Le Pen family did not choose to pay homage to their patriarch at the Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce church at random. It is a nod to the military past of the founder of the National Front and the Legion of Honor. A stint in the army during which he served in Algeria where he was accused of having taken part in acts of torture. The church in the 5th arrondissement adjoins a former military hospital itself attached to the diocese to the French armies. It is also a military chaplain who will preside over the mass and read the texts selected by the family.
If this second ceremony takes place in Paris, and not in La Trinité-sur-Mer in Jean-Marie Le Pen’s native Morbihan like the funeral, the two celebrations will have things in common, in particular the photo that will be used. It is a black and white photo in which the politician appears all smiles. The photo was used during the 2002 presidential campaign which saw Jean-Marie Le Pen reach the second round.
Excluded personalities and security measures
The Jean-Marie Le Pen family expects a lot of people for this religious ceremony, but they have also drawn up a blacklist of unwanted personalities at the event reports RTL. Among those who will not be welcome: the far-right essayist Alain Soral or the controversial comedian and political activist Dieudonné, who nevertheless named the Le Pen patriarch as godfather of one of his daughters. Yet, the comedian made it known on that he had requested and obtained an exemption from his sentence, which forces him to stay at home under an electronic bracelet, to go to the tribute ceremony to Jean-Marie Le Pen.
In addition to the list of unwanted people, a security protocol will be strictly respected for the smooth running of the event and above all to avoid the organization of events celebrating the death of Jean-Marie Le Pen. The images of celebrations in public squares on January 7, the day of the death of the founder of FN, greatly displeased the family who does not want to see this type of movement happen again. On this subject, the mayor of Perpignan and vice-president of the RN, Louis Aliot, indicated the day after the death of Jean-Marie Le Pen that the funeral and the public ceremony should remain conducive to contemplation.