The reopening ceremony ends slowly

Attendees and guests began to leave the cathedral, marking the end of the grand Notre-Dame ceremony which saw the iconic cathedral open its doors for the first time in five years.

Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich leads clergy as they walk the central island of Notre-Dame Cathedral at the end of the reopening ceremony. © Ludovic Marin

Elon Musk was a surprise guest at the reopening ceremony

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and one of Donald Trump’s closest allies, made a surprise appearance Saturday at the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The boss of Tesla, SpaceX and the social network ‘anonymity.

Musk was then present inside the cathedral for Saturday evening’s ceremony marking its reopening after the 2019 fire. His presence had not previously been announced.

He took photos of the cathedral’s huge doors before entering and also had an exchange inside with Trump who was seated in the front row.

“Magnificat Cathedral,” he posted on X with a video of the cathedral’s vault.

Pope Francis calls for free entry for visitors to Notre-Dame in message read

Pope Francis on Saturday weighed in on the debate in France over whether visitors should pay to tour Notre Dame Cathedral after its fire restoration, saying entry should remain free.

The “immense” visits to Notre-Dame should be welcomed “generously and gratuitously,” the pope said in a message read at the reopening, amid strong Church opposition to a proposal from the French ministry of Culture of paying for access to Notre-Dame. entrance. The pontiff will not attend the ceremony in person but will travel to Corsica next weekend.

“Wake up the organ, sacred instrument,” says the archbishop as the Grand Organ sounds again

The grand, thundering organ, featuring 7,952 pipes ranging from the size of a pen to the width of your torso, resonated for the first time since a fire destroyed the cathedral in 2019.

“Wake up the organ, sacred instrument,” said the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich before it was played.

The recently renovated organ console, equipped with five manuals, 115 stops and 30 pedals, was a marvel of restoration, reawakening a cornerstone of Notre-Dame’s identity.

The Archbishop of Paris speaks before the Grand Organ for the first time in five years

Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich reads during the opening ceremony. © Christophe Petit Tesson, AFP

“Great nations” can “achieve the impossible”, says Macron during his speech

President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday expressed the “gratitude of the French nation” for the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral after the devastating fire, saying that “we have rediscovered what great nations can do: achieve the impossible.”

“We must cherish this lesson of fragility, humility and will, and never forget how much each person counts and how the greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of all,” Macron said during the reopening ceremony.

Watch his full speech below:

President Macron began his speech inside Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Speaking in front of a long list of VIP guests, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a quick speech inside the recently reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral, in which he expressed the “gratitude of the French nation” for those who helped rebuild this iconic monument.

Paris firefighters given a standing ovation at the reopening of Notre-Dame

Paris firefighters in their uniforms received a standing ovation Saturday at the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in recognition of their efforts to save the monument during a devastating fire in 2019.

The word “Merci” (“Thank you”) was projected on the facade of this 12th-century monument as firefighters walked through the congregation of hundreds of VIPs, as well as builders and art restorers who participated in the reconstruction that lasted five years. effort.

The Archbishop of Paris knocks three times to mark the official reopening of the doors of Notre-Dame

The Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral on Saturday by symbolically knocking three times on its doors and entering this 12th century monument devastated by a fire in 2019.

Dressed in new designer clothes and carrying a stick cut from one of the roof beams that survived the inferno, Ulrich ordered the cathedral to “open your doors” before joining hundreds of VIPs at the interior, including President Emmanuel Macron and US President-elect Donald Trump.

Donald Trump arrived at Notre-Dame Cathedral

US President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Britain’s Prince William inside Notre Dame Cathedral. © Ludovic Marin, AFP

Fun facts about Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris

Much more than a place of worship or a popular tourist destination, Notre-Dame reflects the heart and soul of the capital and, in many ways, its history reflects that of the capital.

Florence Villeminot from FRANCE 24 gives you some amusing anecdotes about what Parisians affectionately call “the old lady”.

The reopening of Notre-Dame is celebrated all over the world, even in New York

This great event is celebrated all over the world, even on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in the United States.

Report by FRANCE 24 correspondent in New York, Jessica Le Masurier, from Saint John the Divine Cathedral in Harlem.

Ousted French Prime Minister Michel Barnier arrives at Notre-Dame

American politician John Kerry (left), French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (right) and his wife Isabelle Barnier (center) arrive for a ceremony marking the reopening of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris .

Around fifty heads of state and government are expected in the French capital to attend the ceremony marking the reconstruction of this Gothic masterpiece, five years after the 2019 fire which ravaged this world heritage monument and knocked back his arrow.

© Christophe Petit Tesson, AFP