On Sunday, the faithful will be able to attend Mass at the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral for the first time since the monument was destroyed by fire in 2019. Hundreds of bishops and priests will attend the morning ceremony, while 2,500 people will be able to attend the evening ceremony.
The first public service will take place after the historic opening ceremony, where firefighters, builders and artists were honoured for their work in saving the 12th century masterpiece.
The Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral opened after a five-year renovation. It had been closed to visitors since the fire in April 2019, the cathedral’s restoration was not completed until November 2024.
The Notre-Dame opening ceremony
During the ceremony, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris opened the doors of the cathedral, hitting them several times with a staff. After that, guests were allowed into the building. Among them – French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, US leader-elect Donald Trump, businessman Elon Musk, head of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and others. Incumbent US President Joe Biden was unable to attend the opening, but instead of him, First Lady Jill Biden came to the French capital.
The event was held in conditions of increased security: citizens are inspected by police, special forces are on duty on the Seine embankment, the area is patrolled by a helicopter. Also because of the visit of high-ranking guests, the centre of Paris was closed for pedestrians. Locals are forced to watch the ceremony through barricades.
The cathedral was restored in its historical form, but some newly created elements, such as the altar, font and seats, received a modern look. Specialists also had to completely rebuild the burnt-out spire and roof – the restoration of the latter required special permission from Macron, which allowed 460 tonnes of lead banned in France to be used for the work.
