The image is symbolic. At 7:20 p.m., this Saturday, December 7, the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich opened the doors of Notre-Dame Cathedral, on which he gave nine blows with his crozier, formalizing the rebirth of this Gothic masterpiece of the 12th century. “Our Lady, open your doors,” he said.
Inside the building, in the heart of Paris, around forty heads of state and government – including the President-elect of the United States Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – crowned heads but also billionaire Elon Musk celebrated the rebirth of the cathedral. When he entered, the Ukrainian president was applauded for a long time. With this worldwide event, Emmanuel Macron, who had set the “insane challenge” of a restoration in five years following the fire of April 15, 2019, hopes to create a “shock of hope” in a country plunged into a deep political crisis since the government’s censorship on Thursday.
During his speech, the president expressed the “gratitude of the French Nation” for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame. “We have rediscovered what great Nations can do: achieve the impossible,” he greeted from inside the building. “We have chosen the start, the will, the course of hope […]. And to make this possible, an unprecedented fraternity”, added the Head of State. “We will have to keep this lesson of fragility, humility and will as a treasure, and never forget how much everyone counts and how much the “The grandeur of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of everyone,” he concluded.
Just afterward, Pope Francis pleaded, in a text, to “welcome generously and free of charge” the “immense crowd” of visitors expected at Notre-Dame, then the great organ sounded for the first time since the fire. At the start of the ceremony, firefighters who saved Notre-Dame from the flames in 2019 and craftsmen who participated in its reconstruction were applauded for several minutes. A huge “THANK YOU” was also projected on the west facade of the cathedral, while these 160 firefighters and craftsmen paraded in the spans of Notre-Dame, acclaimed by numerous heads of state and government and personalities.
A religious service was then celebrated in the presence of 1,500 guests, during which a message from Pope Francis, who declined the invitation, will be read. At the end of the republican and liturgical ceremonies, a dinner will be offered at the Elysée, where Emmanuel Macron organized a trilateral meeting at the end of the day with Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump which lasted around thirty minutes. Welcomed around 5 p.m., the president-elect of the United States said that the world seemed to be going “a little crazy”. “We have so many challenges to face together,” the French president then wrote on X.
Pharrell Williams and Marion Cotillard
The unpredictable weather also disrupted the concert planned on the square, which was finally recorded on Friday and will be broadcast on a delayed basis. Among the big names appearing in the trailer are those of singer and creator Pharrell Williams and French actress Marion Cotillard. Classical music is also in the spotlight with Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, South African soprano Pretty Yende (who will sing “Amazing Grace”) and Franco-Swiss tenor Benjamin Bernheim (“Ave Maria” ).
For a pop touch, the French Clara Luciani and Vianney, the Canadian Garou (for a medley of the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris”), the Franco-Beninese Angélique Kidjo were present. And DJ Michael Canitrot, known for his concerts in front of monuments. The festivities will continue on Sunday with the first public mass celebrated since April 2019 at Notre-Dame, magnified by Victor Hugo and celebrated in musicals, films or a Disney cartoon.