US President-elect Trump attends the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Seattle, Washington, December 3, 2024 / 09:05 am

US President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to travel to Paris this Saturday to attend the grand reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. This is his first foreign visit since winning the presidential election in November.

Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, stating: “It is my honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France on Saturday to attend the reopening of the magnificent and historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been since then was fully restored.” a devastating fire five years ago.”

He also praised French President Emmanuel Macron, saying he had “done a wonderful job making sure Notre Dame is back to its full glory, and even more so.” It will be a very special day for everyone!” Macron was among those the first foreign leaders to congratulate Trump after his election victory last month.

The reopening will be a high security affair. Around 6,000 police officers and members of the gendarmerie will be deployed on Saturday and Sunday for the event, which is expected to be attended by around 50 heads of state and government, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said at a press conference. Pope Francis said in September he would not attend.

The Île de la Cité, where Notre Dame is located in the middle of the Seine, is only accessible to invited guests and residents of the island, Nuñez added. There will be space for 40,000 spectators on the south bank of the Seine.

The reopening service, presided over by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, will be attended by Macron, other officials, donors and Paris clergy. The service includes the singing of the Te Deum, the Magnificat, prayers for the world and the Lord’s Prayer.

As a gesture of unity, Catholic churches across the United States have been asked by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to ring their bells on Saturday, December 7, at 2 p.m. ET.

The opening mass will be celebrated the following day, during which the Archbishop will consecrate the high altar. Some 170 bishops and priests from around the world will take part, as well as a priest from each of the 106 parishes of the Archdiocese of Paris.

Events will follow from December 8th to 15th, where believers and those involved in the restoration will be invited to daily church services. From December 16th, the cathedral will resume its daily operations.

Notre Dame, a landmark of French heritage and Gothic architecture, was severely damaged in April 2019 when a fire ravaged its roof and tower. The main structure and many of its priceless contents were saved, but the $760 million restoration project was monumental and involved teams of architects, craftsmen and engineers dedicated to preserving the cathedral’s historic integrity.

According to the French Tourist Board, before the fire, the cathedral attracted between 14 and 15 million visitors each year.