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Notre Dame reopening today, Donald Trump, Prince William to attend celebrations.
French President Emmanuel Macron, US President-elect Donald Trump, and other global leaders will gather to celebrate the grand reopening of Notre Dame, achieved in just five years after it was engulfed in a massive fire.
Notre Dame, the gothic cathedral in Paris that went up in flames five years ago, will reopen on Saturday, marking a triumphant milestone in its restoration.
French President Emmanuel Macron, US President-elect Donald Trump, and other global leaders will gather to celebrate the iconic landmark’s renaissance, achieved in just five years despite initial predictions of decades of work.
Originally planned as an outdoor celebration, the reopening ceremony will be held indoors due to a weather forecast predicting wind gusts of up to 80 kmph. “This obliged us to reorganise the arrangements,” stated Macron’s office and the Paris diocese.
The reconstruction, costing approximately 700 million euros ($750 million), was funded entirely through donations.
Macron hailed the achievement as a testament to French ingenuity and determination, saying in a televised address on Thursday, “This is proof that we know how to do grand things, we know how to do the impossible, and the whole world has admired us for it on two occasions this year.”
GLOBAL LEADERS AND ARTISTS GATHER
The ceremony will be attended by around 50 heads of state and government, along with royalty, celebrities, and church leaders.
High-profile guests include Britain’s Prince William, US President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and First Lady Jill Biden, representing President Joe Biden.
According to reports, singers Paul McCartney and Pharrell Williams are tipped to perform.
Security measures, modelled on those used for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, will seal off parts of central Paris, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez told Le Parisien.
Notably absent will be Pope Francis, who is scheduled for an official visit to Corsica at the time. He, however, has sent a message to be read during the ceremony.
NOTRE DAME’S JOURNEY TO RESTORATION
The April 15, 2019 fire destroyed the 860-year-old cathedral’s roof and spire, leaving its interior strewn with soot and rubble. The cause of the blaze remains uncertain, with investigators pointing to an accidental origin, such as a burning cigarette or electrical fault.
In the aftermath, Macron pledged to rebuild the cathedral as a symbol of French history and resilience. Contributions poured in from around the globe, with some of France’s wealthiest individuals pledging hundreds of millions of euros.
CNN reported that over 2,000 workers dedicated their expertise to the project, using 2,000 oak trees for reconstruction and meticulously restoring 2,000 architectural features.
The world got its first glimpse of the restored Notre Dame last week, as Macron toured the landmark alongside his wife, Brigitte, and Catholic clergymen.
WEEKEND OF CELEBRATIONS
The reopening festivities begin Saturday afternoon with Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presiding over a symbolic ceremony to reopen Notre Dame’s doors. He will also reawaken the cathedral’s grand organ, which was painstakingly restored after being coated in toxic dust from the fire.
A concert on Saturday evening will feature international artists, including opera singers Pretty Yende and Julie Fuchs, pianist Lang Lang, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and singer Angélique Kidjo. The inclement weather forecast prompted officials to pre-record the concert and move President Macron’s speech indoors.
Sunday’s inaugural Mass, led by the Paris archbishop, will include the consecration of a new altar. Nearly 170 bishops and priests from Paris’s 106 parishes will attend, alongside church figures from across France and abroad.
According to Le Monde, public viewing areas accommodating up to 40,000 people will be set up along the Seine’s southern bank, where spectators can watch the ceremonies on large screens.
Beginning December 9, the cathedral — which was one of the most visited monuments in Paris before the blaze shut it down — will be open to the public.
(India today)