PARIS – The emblematic of France Notre-Dame Cathedral officially reopens its doors Saturday for the first time since devastating disaster fire almost destroyed this 861-year-old monument in 2019.

The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure whose construction took nearly two centuries, is considered a moment of triumph for the French president Emmanuel Macron, who defended the ambitious schedule – and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes.

Under the bright stained glass windows, many world leaders, dignitaries and faithful will gather in the evening to mark the occasion – a rare moment of unity against a backdrop of global division and conflict.

President-elect Donald TrumpUS first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are among 1,500 guests attending the reopening celebration under the imposing Gothic arches of Notre-Dame, led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.

Due to high winds forecast for Saturday evening in Paris, the French presidential palace and the Diocese of Paris announced Friday that the entire opening ceremony would take place inside Notre-Dame, instead of starting from the cathedral square as initially planned.

A sign of hope

Notre-Dame rector Reverend Olivier Ribadeau Dumas says the cathedral is “more than just a French monument” and a beloved treasure of world cultural heritage.

“The cathedral is a magnificent symbol of unity,” said the rector. “A sign of hope, because what seemed impossible has become possible.”

Saturday’s events will blend solemn religious tradition, official presidential address and cultural grandeur, starting with Ulrich’s symbolic reopening of the great wooden doors of Notre-Dame.

By tapping them three times with a stick made from charred wood salvaged from the cathedral’s fire-ravaged roof, he will declare the cathedral open for worship once more.

Huguette Euphrasie’s mother, Marie-Yolande, 79, is battling cancer. As she stared at the towers of Notre Dame, the girl called for help to the cathedral on Saturday, with a prayer on the day the monument reopened.

“It has enormous spiritual value for me,” said Euphrasia, gathered with people from around the world to watch the reopening from screens set up on the banks of nearby rivers. “It’s very moving.”

Solemn rituals

Psalms, prayers and hymns will fill the cavernous space while the thundering organ of the cathedral, silenced since the fire, will awaken. The instrument of 8,000 pipes, meticulously restored and cleaned of toxic lead dustwill respond to the archbishop’s invocation, with four organists performing an improvised set of melodies.

Later in the evening, a star-studded concert will take center stage inside the cathedral and pay tribute to its resurrection and those who worked to restore it, offering a universal message of harmony. Pianist Lang Lang, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and soprano Pretty Yende are among the world-renowned artists expected to perform.

On Sunday, Ulrich will lead the inaugural mass and consecrate the cathedral’s new altar, designed by contemporary artist Guillaume Bardet to replace the one crushed under the spire ignited by the fire.

Unity in times of global challenges

The reopening of Notre-Dame comes at a time of profound global unrest, with wars rage in Ukraine and the Middle East.

For Catholics, the rector of Notre-Dame declared that the cathedral “bears the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and enveloping presence.”

“It’s a beautiful symbol of unity,” Dumas said.

The diversity of dignitaries coming to Paris from Africa, the Middle East and the United States highlights the importance of the cathedral as a symbol of common heritage and peace.

Macron’s political woes

The celebration is expected to provide a much-needed boost to embattled Macron, whose prime minister was ousted this weekplunging the national political scene into further turmoil.

The French president, who called the reopening of Notre-Dame “a surge of hope,” will address the gathering. He had hoped that the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase the unity and resilience of France under his leadership, as well as the successful restoration of Notre-Dame in just five years – a timetable that seemed unlikely at the time. a lot.

Macron’s presidency now faces its gravest crisis after the government collapsed this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

The vote follows months of political impasse after early elections. Calls for Macron’s resignation are now getting louder from opposition forces. But he pledged on Thursday to stay in office until his term ends in 2027 and said he would appoint a new prime minister within days.

As France grapples with economic difficulties and social unrest, celebrations of the rebirth of Notre-Dame stand in stark contrast to the crisis.

Security is reinforced for this global event

Security will be increased throughout the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year.

Île de la Cité – the small island in the Seine that is home to Notre-Dame and the historic heart of Paris – is closed to tourists and non-residents. Police vans and barriers blocked cobbled streets in a wide perimeter around the island, while soldiers wearing thick bulletproof vests and sniffer dogs patrolled the embankments. A special security service follows Trump.

The public spaces set up along the south bank of the Seine will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who will be able to follow the celebrations on large screens.

For many, the rebirth of Notre-Dame is not only a French success but also a global one: after reopening, the cathedral should welcome 15 million visitors per year, compared to 12 million before the fire.

After the 2019 fire, nearly $1 billion in donations quickly poured in from around the world, testament to Notre Dame’s universal appeal.

Among those who traveled from far and wide for the reopening was Canadian Noelle Alexandria.

“This is not the first time that it (Notre Dame) has been on the verge of ruin, and each time that has happened, it has always managed to bounce back. Few of us could truly say that we would do the same, that we would be able to come back, no matter what tragedy befalls us. But she did it,” Alexandria said.

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John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.

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