France celebrated the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral on Saturday at a special church service that featured a standing ovation for the firefighters who saved the 12th-century landmark from destruction during a 2019 blaze, France 24 reports.
A two-hour service attended by incoming US president Donald Trump among other world leaders began with the archbishop of Paris knocking on the doors of the cathedral three times.
“Notre Dame, model of faith, open your doors to bring together the far-flung children of God in joy,” archbishop Laurent Ulrich commanded, banging with a wooden staff crafted from a roof beam that survived the inferno five years ago.
Trump could be seen sitting on the front row as guest of honour next to French President Emmanuel Macron, with invitees marvelling at the freshly cleaned walls, new furniture and state-of-the-art lighting installed as part of the overhaul.
In a short speech, Macron expressed the “gratitude of the French nation” for the restoration work, achieved at frenzied speed over the last five years. France had “rediscovered what great nations can do – achieve the impossible”, he said.
The reconstruction effort cost around 700 million euros ($750 million), financed from donations, with the re-opening achieved within a five-year deadline despite predictions it could take decades.
Workers had to overcome problems with lead pollution, the Covid-19 epidemic, and the army general overseeing the project falling to his death while hiking in the Pyrenees last year.
One surprising absentee on Saturday was Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church.
He sent a message addressed to the French people and weighed into a row about whether the place of worship and tourist attraction should remain free to enter.
The “immense” numbers set to visit Notre-Dame should be welcomed “generously and free of charge”, he said, clearly opposing a proposition from the French culture ministry to charge for entry.
The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation by prosecutors, who believe an accident such as an electrical fault was the most likely reason.
On Sunday, the first mass with 170 bishops and more than 100 Paris priests will take place at 10:30am (0930 GMT), followed by a second service in the evening at 6:30 pm which will be open to the public.
