Thursday, November 14, 2024

First details of the reopening of Notre-Dame announced

On Wednesday, those responsible in Paris announced the first details of the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral

According to the announcement, French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the Notre-Dame construction site for the last time on 29 November. 

The ceremonial reopening of the world-famous cathedral in the centre of the French capital will then take place on 7 December. 

According to the Elysee, Macron plans to give a short speech in front of the cathedral. 

The President will also be present at the first service on 8 December. 

There had previously been debate about the president's appearances as part of the celebrations due to the separation of church and state in France.

A fire broke out on the roof of Notre-Dame on 15 April 2019 during renovation work. It destroyed the roofs and roof trusses, parts of the vaults and the crossing tower. 

At the time, Macron announced that the Gothic church would be rebuilt within five years. 

According to Elysee, the total costs amounted to around 700 million euros. Nevertheless, further work is planned around the cathedral. The outside area is also to be redesigned.

The anticipation of the reopening of the cathedral is growing, said the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich. 

On 7 December, after the President's speech, he will knock on the doors of Notre-Dame with his crozier "so that the cathedral opens itself and welcomes us", as Father Guillaume Normand, who is responsible for the liturgical ceremony, explained according to the newspaper "La Croix". 

The organ will then be played again before the religious part of the opening ceremony ends with a Te Deum, the church's solemn hymn of praise, thanksgiving and supplication. 

Afterwards, at around 9.30 pm, a performance with actors, dancers and musicians is planned on the forecourt of the cathedral.

First church service

The altar dedication will take place on 8 December from 10.30 am as part of the first service after the fire. 

More than 150 bishops from France and other countries are expected to attend. 

The organisers are also expecting a great deal of media interest. On both days, 300 journalists could report on the event on site.

Individual visitors will be able to enter the cathedral from 9 December. 

An online reservation system will be available from the beginning of December, as announced by the Archdiocese of Paris. Slots can be booked a maximum of two days in advance for the respective day of the visit. 

There will also be a queue every day without a reservation. In the first week, the cathedral will also be accessible beyond normal opening hours until 10.00 pm.

When asked on Wednesday, Archbishop Ulrich once again rejected the proposal by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati to charge an entrance fee for every tourist visit to the cathedral.