Notre Dame cathedral roars back to life after more than five years of silence
For the first time since the devastating 2019 fire, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened in an evening marked by song, prayer, and tribute to the many who saved and rebuilt Notre Dame.
The evening’s celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including the US president-elect, Donald Trump, the US first lady, Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The ceremony began with the ringing of the cathedral’s largest bell, the 13-ton Emmanuel – named by King Louis XIV after it was cast in 1683.
Speaking inside the cathedral, Macron expressed “gratitude” to those who saved, donated, and rebuilt Notre Dame. “Every bit of it was necessary,” he said. “We have rediscovered what great nations could do: achieve the impossible.”
The reopening was as much about diplomacy as it was about celebrating the tremendous feat of rebuilding the cathedral. Prior to the ceremony, Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy met briefly, in what Reuters described as a coup for Macron after a week of political turmoil in France.
Updated
Underscoring the role that diplomacy played in tonight’s ceremony, news agency AFP has a piece about how Brigitte Macron was seated strategically in order to keep Trump and the Bidens apart.
Joe Biden was invited tonight, but his office said he had a scheduling conflict. Instead the first lady, Jill Biden, as well as the couple’s daughter, Ashley, attended.
The presence of both Trump and the outgoing president’s family presented protocol planners with a headache after one of the most bitter election campaigns in US history.
Before the start of the ceremony, the US first lady and Trump ended up seated on their own briefly and could be seen exchanging pleasantries, AFP reported.
