Macron visited Notre Dame. Photos from inside the rebuilt cathedral

During his visit to the rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral, Emmanuel Macron praised the exceptional pace of work. The left-wing president of the Republic was accompanied by bishops. shortly the celebrated temple will return to sacred functions

Macron’s ‘Working’ Visit

Emmanuel Marcom paid a visit to the restored Notre-Dame Cathedral on 29 November accompanied by his wife Brigitte, Archbishop of Paris Laurent Bernard Marie Ulrich and a crowd of journalists. In the cathedral, thanks for her work on reconstruction, 1,300 craftsmen heard, who frequently had to learn and reproduce medieval construction techniques. The president thanked those who worked hard in 5 years to rebuild the cathedral destroyed by the fire of April 2019.

Macron spoke of a "crazy" recovery rate that lasted "day and night". He besides paid tribute separately to General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the first head of the reconstruction committee to die tragically during his travels in the Pyrenees. –He should be here with us. I think he'd be arrogant and happy.– added the president. He besides addressed a fewer words to the absent Azzedine Hedna, a scaffolding monter, appreciated by everyone on the site for being a good temper who died on the night of 8 to 9 November, a period before the reopening of "the pride of his life". Turning to the Archbishop of Paris, Macron said that beginning emotions would make up for the emotions associated with the temple fire.

Official beginning 7 and 8 December

The authoritative beginning of the cathedral is planned for respective days. The main ceremonies will be held on 7 and 8 December. Everything will begin with laity celebrations. Macron will talk in the square before the cathedral, and they come to perceive to the concert. It was originally planned that the president would talk in the cathedral, but "after hard negotiations with the diocese it was decided that he would talk in the square." president Macron called the five-year restoration of Notre-Dame "the construction of the century". The media points out that this success besides wants to be politically discounted. This is why Pope Francis is most likely not coming to Paris for the celebrations, but a week later he will visit French... Corsica.

Later there will be a service in the presence of about 150 guests from abroad, including president Andrzej Duda and Jill Biden, the current First woman of America. The participation of Italian president Sergio Mattarelli and Greek president Ekaterini Sakellaropoúlou was confirmed. Many African heads are besides expected. But there will be neither a British nor a Spanish monarch.

‘Opening concert’

After the service, a program was planned to gather artists. Notre-Dame de Paris will feature singers Clara Luciani and Vianney and global classical music stars specified as Chinese pianist Lang Lang and French DJ Michael Canitrot. There will besides be a South African soprano beautiful Yende singing for the coronation of King Charles III. French-Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, French-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich and French-Swiss tenor Benjamin Bernheim, who sang for the closing of the Olympics in Paris in August of that year. France will be represented from Benin Angélique Kidjo and Garou. DJ evening is Michael Canitrot, who performed with his electronic music on the Eiffel Tower on the occasion of Gustave Eiffel's 100th anniversary of his death. The performance will besides be performed by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra with Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel. 1 wonders whether the cathedral needs this kind of musical luminaire, or is the laick Republic building its "sink" on this occasion?

First Masses

On Sunday, December 8, at 10.30 a.m., the first Mass will be celebrated in the presence of 150 French and abroad bishops, as well as president Macron. The Elysée Palace explained his presence at the service, recalling that the president is an agnostic, and his participation in the Mass is simply “traditional”. The first open mass for the faithful will be held on the same day at 6:30 p.m. From 9 to 15 December another The Masses will be dedicated to donors, patrons of reconstruction, local merchants and craftsmen, and then to residents of the Notre-Dame territory and the parishes in Paris.

A symbol of a Catholic restaurant?

About 15 million tourists are expected to visit the cathedral all year. Before the fire, which has not been explained to this day, tourist attendance reached 12 million visitors. This “build of the century” cost around EUR 700 million and was financed exclusively from the victims of about 340 000 donors. In this “unprecedented project”, “there was a unique spirit of brotherhood”, president Macron stressed on 29 November.

The renovated cathedral shines with the brilliance of novelty and has not been seen by anyone since the 12th century. The masterpiece of Gothic art was restored, and its roof and needle were rebuilt identically, despite attempts at modern interference. There is inactive a dispute over stained glass, where any contemporary stigma was besides wanted. The most crucial thing is that erstwhile the ceremony passes away, the temple will return to its sacred functions, and possibly its restaurant will become a symbol of the restaurant besides of French Catholicism.Bogdan Dobosh