PARIS—France’s iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral is opening its doors to the public five years after a fire devastated the medieval landmark.
The April 2019 blaze tore through the church, destroying its iconic spire and most of the roof in a few hours. Yet, amid the destruction, images from inside Notre-Dame underscored the resilience of the medieval structure: Towering walls stood firm, statues remained intact, and a golden cross gleamed above the altar, surrounded by the charred rubble of the collapsed roof.
Although restoration work is ongoing to ensure that the 860-year-old building remains a centerpiece of the Paris skyline for generations to come, the cathedral formally opened on Dec. 7, for the first time since the disaster that shocked France and the world. The event has drawn immense public interest, with visitors flocking to Paris to witness the moment.
As part of the reopening ceremony, Laurent Ulrich, the Archbishop of Paris, knocked on Notre-Dame’s heavy doors three times using a crozier crafted from salvaged wood from the burnt roof. A psalm was sung from within as the cathedral’s famous 8,000-pipe organ responded with a performance by four organists.
The doors opened after the psalm was sung three times. The Archbishop entered Notre-Dame, followed by French President Emmanuel Macron, First Lady Brigitte Macron, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
Macron delivered a speech following the symbolic door-reopening, expressing the “gratitude of the French nation” for those who helped rebuild its cultural treasure.
“The bells of Notre-Dame, which have accompanied our history, are ringing again,” Macron said in front of the dignitaries. “We rediscovered what great nations could achieve: the impossible.”
In the wake of the 2019 fire, Macron started a national fundraising campaign and set the ambitious goal of restoring the cathedral in five years. The campaign raised more than 846 million euros (approximately $894 million) in donations worldwide. American donors were the most generous, contributing $75 million from 45,000 supporters.
Ahead of the ceremony, Macron held meetings at his presidential palace with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Macron and Zelenskyy are two of the few European leaders who were in office during Trump’s first term and remain in power as Trump prepares to return to the White House.
Despite the cold and rain, a sizable crowd gathered outside Notre-Dame, watching the ceremony on screens set up for the public or their phones. Over 40,000 people were expected in the areas reserved for the public. Among them were many who had stood witness to the tragic fire that devastated the cathedral in 2019, and for them, this moment marked not just the reopening, but the triumph of Notre-Dame’s restoration.
“What happened today is a miracle: a miracle because we are finally witnessing the restoration of Notre-Dame, but also a miracle because the issue of the war in Ukraine has found its place under the auspices of this ceremony. I hope this event will bring greater peace and unity to the world“, Joséphine, a French catholic student who rented a room in Paris for the weekend to attend the event, told The Epoch Times, adding that Trump’s presence in Paris is “a great symbol” for both the United States and France.
Jeanne, who has lived in Paris for 50 years, says she has come “to hear the bells of Notre-Dame ring again in Paris. Because when I hear them ringing once more, it will mean that the cathedral is finally saved.” Along with her, she has brought a copy of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo, which she plans to pass down to her grandson once the day is over, as a cherished keepsake of this historic moment.
Among the people in the crowd, there were also Americans, excited to be part of this historic event : “I am so very happy that Trump accepted Macron’s invitation to attend the opening ceremony, allowing us, as Americans, to show how important it was to us that Notre-Dame was restored. And we got to be part of that. It’s truly a wonderful experience”, Camila, an American violinist living in Paris, told The Epoch Times.
On Dec. 8, Archbishop Ulrich will celebrate the first Mass in the newly restored cathedral, consecrating a contemporary altar that replaces the one crushed by the fallen spire during the 2019 fire.
The effort to restore Notre-Dame’s grandeur has been a monumental task. About 250 companies, alongside hundreds of artisans, architects, and other experts, were mobilized for the project. The restoration faced setbacks, however, including significant delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The titanic reconstruction and restoration project came at a cost of about 700 million euros ($737 million). The leftover funds are expected to be spent on the future preservation of the treasured Gothic cathedral.
One of France’s most beloved and visited monuments, Notre-Dame now expects to welcome some 15 million visitors annually.
