France planned to reopen the capital’s Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday in a ceremony attended by dozens of world leaders. The cathedral had been closed for five years. The event would mark the revival of the Paris monument, which was devastated by a horrific fire.
Presented by President Emmanuel Macron as a symbol of French ingenuity and tenacity, Notre Dame’s comeback so soon after a 2019 fire that damaged its roof and spire occurred during a challenging period for the nation.
At 1800 GMT, Laurent Ulrich, the archbishop of Paris, will formally reopen the church by knocking three times to signal the beginning of the nearly two-hour service.
Macron has pulled off a huge coup by inviting US President-elect Donald Trump, who is travelling abroad for the first time since winning the election, to the ceremony along with over 40 other leaders, including Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and Prince William, the heir apparent to the UK monarchy.
Philippe Jost, who is in charge of the restoration project, told Franceinfo radio that it is “a cathedral-like we have never seen before” and that he was pleased to “show the whole world” a “great collective success and a source of pride for all of France.”
With gusts of up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) per hour predicted, officials had to last-minutely postpone Macron’s speech and pre-record a concert that was supposed to take place after the event due to severe weather.
The televised concert, which was pre-recorded Friday night due to the weather, will feature performances by South African opera singer Pretty Yende, Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang, and an orchestra led by Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel. The service will include prayer, organ music, and hymns from the cathedral’s choir.
Pharrell Williams, a fashion designer and musician from the United States, is also thought to have participated.
Political unrest that has left France without a functioning government and in a budget crisis has undermined the sense of national achievement in repairing a beloved symbol of Paris.
