Notre Dame Cathedral reopened at 7:20 p.m. on December 7, after the Archbishop of Paris performed the ritual of knocking three times with a pastoral staff.
According to a VNA reporter in France, after more than 5 years of renovation and restoration, Notre-Dame Cathedral has officially reopened with an emotional ceremony and a message of thanks.
More than 4,000 people were still present outside the church despite the unfavorable weather.
Five and a half years after being devastated by a devastating fire, Notre Dame Cathedral reopened at 7:20 p.m. on December 7, after the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, performed the ritual of knocking three times with his shepherd's staff - a symbol of his mission of service.
This special ceremony took place with the presence of more than 40 heads of state and leaders of countries, hundreds of guests, and hundreds of millions of viewers around the world through a live television program on French national television.
Authorities had set up an area on the pier near the church to accommodate up to 40,000 visitors. However, cold winds and heavy rains kept the attendance lower than expected.
Despite the unwelcoming weather, by the time the cathedral's opening ceremony began, around 4,000 bracelets had been distributed by volunteers at the entrance points to Notre Dame Cathedral, according to Franceinfo.
"I stand here to express the gratitude of the French people, to all those who saved and rebuilt the cathedral." That was the message that French President Emmanuel Macron wanted to convey as he began his speech at the opening ceremony of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Not only expressing gratitude to the firefighters, skilled workers, scaffolders, carpenters, roofers, blacksmiths, stonemasons, restorers, archaeologists, engineers, historians, conservators, architects, painters, artisans..., the French President also sent his thanks to all those who contributed, whether in labor or material, money, to the restoration of the cathedral, a powerful testament to the ability of "great nations: to do the impossible."
Both President Emmanuel Macron and Archbishop Laurent Ulrich have paid tribute to General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the former chief of the army's general staff, an outsider with a passion for cultural heritage who was put in charge of rebuilding Notre Dame and led the reconstruction until his death in 2023. His name is engraved on the top of the spire.
Although he could not attend the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral, Pope François appreciated and affirmed that "the determination of the French government together with the wave of widespread donations from the international community contributed to the restoration."
According to the Pope, this wave of support "is not only a sign of love for art and history," but also shows that "the symbolic and sacred value of a work is always deeply felt, from the most ordinary people to the greatest men."
This iconic religious and cultural structure of France was restored by the labor of about 2,000 people, from wood, metal, and stone craftsmen, to masons, craftsmen, engineers, and researchers, and cost a total of more than 700 million euros, funded mainly by 843 million euros donated by benefactors from 150 countries around the world.
After being completely restored, Notre Dame Cathedral will begin welcoming visitors from December 8, and is expected to welcome 14-15 million visitors each year, higher than the average of 12 million visitors the year before the fire./.
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