{"id":117938,"date":"2024-12-07T14:42:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T14:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/notre-dame-reopens-its-doors-to-macron-and-other-world-leaders-in-a-rare-symbol-of-unity-the-associated-press\/"},"modified":"2024-12-07T14:42:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T14:42:35","slug":"notre-dame-reopens-its-doors-to-macron-and-other-world-leaders-in-a-rare-symbol-of-unity-the-associated-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/notre-dame-reopens-its-doors-to-macron-and-other-world-leaders-in-a-rare-symbol-of-unity-the-associated-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Notre Dame reopens its doors to Macron and other world leaders in a rare symbol of unity – The Associated Press"},"content":{"rendered":"

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Architect behind Notre Dame rebuild details mammoth task to complete project ahead of reopening
The world is gearing up for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral this weekend after more than five years of reconstruction following the devastating 2019 blaze. The ceremony will host around 50 heads of state, including President-elect Donald Trump.
FILE – People stand outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, on Nov. 29 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
People take photographs of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
FILE – The main entrance of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral is pictured on Nov. 29, 2024, in Paris. (Stephane de Sakutin\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Pedestrians pass Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
FILE – The vaulted ceiling of the Notre-Dame cathedral is seen on Nov. 29, 2024 in Paris. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Pedestrians take snapshots of Notre Dame Cathedral a day before its ceremonial reopening in Paris on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, following the devastating fire of 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)
Notre Dame cathedral is reflected in a puddle in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Alessandra Tarantino)
The Notre Dame cathedral is seen in Paris, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
Architect behind Notre Dame rebuild details mammoth task to complete project ahead of reopening
The world is gearing up for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral this weekend after more than five years of reconstruction following the devastating 2019 blaze. The ceremony will host around 50 heads of state, including President-elect Donald Trump.
FILE – People stand outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, on Nov. 29 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE – People stand outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, on Nov. 29 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
People take photographs of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
People take photographs of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
FILE – The main entrance of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral is pictured on Nov. 29, 2024, in Paris. (Stephane de Sakutin\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE – The main entrance of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral is pictured on Nov. 29, 2024, in Paris. (Stephane de Sakutin\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Pedestrians pass Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
Pedestrians pass Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
FILE – The vaulted ceiling of the Notre-Dame cathedral is seen on Nov. 29, 2024 in Paris. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE – The vaulted ceiling of the Notre-Dame cathedral is seen on Nov. 29, 2024 in Paris. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Pedestrians take snapshots of Notre Dame Cathedral a day before its ceremonial reopening in Paris on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, following the devastating fire of 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)
Pedestrians take snapshots of Notre Dame Cathedral a day before its ceremonial reopening in Paris on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, following the devastating fire of 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)
Notre Dame cathedral is reflected in a puddle in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Alessandra Tarantino)
Notre Dame cathedral is reflected in a puddle in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Alessandra Tarantino)
The Notre Dame cathedral is seen in Paris, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
The Notre Dame cathedral is seen in Paris, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
PARIS (AP) \u2014 France\u2019s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral<\/a><\/span> is formally reopening its doors on Saturday for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark<\/a><\/span> in 2019.
The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years<\/a><\/span> for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron,<\/a><\/span> who championed the ambitious timeline \u2014 and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes<\/a><\/span>.
FILE – The main entrance of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral is pictured on Nov. 29, 2024, in Paris. (Stephane de Sakutin\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE – The main entrance of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral is pictured on Nov. 29, 2024, in Paris. (Stephane de Sakutin\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Under the luminous stained glass, many world leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers will gather in the evening to mark the occasion \u2014 a rare moment of unity against the backdrop of global divisions and conflicts.
President-elect Donald Trump<\/a><\/span>, America\u2019s first lady Jill Biden, Britain\u2019s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are among 1,500 guests attending the reopening celebration under Notre Dame\u2019s soaring Gothic arches, led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.
Because of strong winds forecast for Saturday evening in Paris, the French presidential palace and the Paris diocese said Friday the entire opening ceremony will be held inside Notre Dame, instead of starting from the cathedral\u2019s forecourt as initially planned.
Pedestrians pass Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
Pedestrians pass Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
People take photographs of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
People take photographs of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Louise Delmotte)
FILE – The vaulted ceiling of the Notre-Dame cathedral is seen on Nov. 29, 2024 in Paris. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE – The vaulted ceiling of the Notre-Dame cathedral is seen on Nov. 29, 2024 in Paris. (Sarah Meyssonnier\/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Notre Dame\u2019s rector, Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, says the cathedral is \u201cmore than just a French monument\u201d and a beloved treasure of world\u2019s cultural heritage.
\u201cThe cathedral is a magnificent symbol of unity,\u201d the rector said. \u201cA sign of hope, because what seemed impossible has become possible.\u201d <\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s events will blend solemn religious tradition with an official presidential speech and cultural grandeur, starting with Ulrich symbolically reopening Notre Dame\u2019s grand wooden doors.
Tapping them three times with a staff crafted from charred wood salvaged from the cathedral\u2019s fire-ravaged roof, he will declare the cathedral open for worship once more.
Huguette Euphrasie\u2019s 79-year-old mother, Marie-Yolande, is battling cancer. So as she stared intently up at Notre Dame\u2019s towers, the daughter appealed Saturday to the cathedral for help, with a prayer on the day of the monument\u2019s reopening.
\u201cIt has huge spiritual value for me,\u201d Euphrasie said, gathering with people from around the world to watch the reopening from screens on nearby riverbanks. \u201cIt\u2019s very moving.\u201d
Among the thousands lining the Seine were Patricia and Cyrille Brenner, a devout Catholic couple who had traveled overnight from Cannes on the French Riviera. Though they weren\u2019t invited inside, being part of the public viewing along the riverbanks felt like the fulfillment of a pilgrimage.
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like the Cannes festival,\u201d said Patricia, 65. \u201cYou have to be there to experience it.\u201d
Her husband Cyrille, 66, marveled at the cathedral\u2019s restoration. For them, the fire \u2014 which spared sacred relics, statues, and the altar\u2019s golden cross \u2014 held deeper meaning. \u201cWhen you\u2019re Christian, you tell yourself there are no coincidences,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it happened, maybe God was saying, \u2018We need to renew that fervor.\u2019\u201d
Psalms, prayers, and hymns will fill the cavernous space as the cathedral\u2019s thunderous organ, silenced since the fire, is reawakened. The 8,000-pipe instrument, painstakingly restored and cleaned of toxic lead dust<\/a><\/span>, will respond to the archbishop\u2019s invocation, with four organists performing an improvised interplay of melodies.
Later in the evening, a star-studded concert will take center stage inside the cathedral and pay tribute to its resurrection and to those who labored to restore it, offering a universal message of harmony. Pianist Lang Lang, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and soprano Pretty Yende are among the world-famous artists slated to perform.
On Sunday, Ulrich will lead the inaugural Mass and consecrate the cathedral\u2019s new altar, designed by contemporary artist Guillaume Bardet to replace the one crushed beneath the flaming spire in the blaze.
The reopening of Notre Dame comes at a time of profound global unrest, with wars raging in Ukraine<\/a><\/span> and the Middle East.
For Catholics, Notre Dame\u2019s rector said the cathedral \u201ccarries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.\u2019’
\u201cIt is a magnificent symbol of unity,\u201d Dumas said.
The range of dignitaries coming to Paris from Africa to the Mideast and the U.S. underline the cathedral\u2019s significance as a symbol of shared heritage and peace.
The celebration is expected to give a much-needed boost to embattled Macron, whose prime minister was ousted this week<\/a><\/span>, plunging the nation\u2019s political scene into more turmoil.
The French president, who has called Notre Dame\u2019s reopening \u201ca jolt of hope,\u201d will address the gathering. He had hoped the occasion would briefly silence his critics and showcase France\u2019s unity and resilience under his leadership, and the achievement of restoring Notre Dame in just five years \u2014 a timeline that had seemed improbable to many.
Macron\u2019s presidency now faces its gravest crisis after the government\u2019s collapse this week in a historic no-confidence vote that toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
The vote followed months of political gridlock after snap elections. Calls are now growing louder from opposition forces for Macron to resign. But he vowed Thursday to remain in office until the end of his term in 2027, and said he\u2019ll name a new prime minister within days.
As France struggles with economic woes and social unrest, Notre Dame\u2019s rebirth celebrations form a stark contrast to the crisis.
Security will be high through the weekend, echoing measures taken during the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
The \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 \u2014 the small island in the River Seine that is home to Notre Dame and the historic heart of Paris\u2014 is closed to tourists and non-residents. Police vans and barriers blocked cobblestoned streets in a large perimeter around the island, while soldiers in thick body armor and sniffer dogs patrolled embankments. A special security detail is following Trump.
Public viewing areas along the Seine\u2019s southern bank will accommodate 40,000 spectators, who can follow the celebrations on large screens.
For many, Notre Dame\u2019s rebirth is not just a French achievement but a global one \u2014 after the reopening, the cathedral is set to welcome 15 million visitors annually, up from 12 million before the fire.
Following the 2019 fire, nearly $1 billion in donations quickly poured in from around the world, testifying to Notre Dame\u2019s universal appeal.
Among those who traveled from afar for the reopening was Canadian Noelle Alexandria.
\u201cIt\u2019s not the first time she (Notre Dame) has been nearly in ruin, and every time it\u2019s happened, she\u2019s always managed to bounce back. Not many of us could really say that we would do the same, be able to keep coming back no matter what tragedy strike us. But she has,\u201d Alexandria said.
John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through The AP\u2019s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

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Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.Architect behind Notre Dame rebuild details mammoth task to complete project ahead of reopeningThe world is gearing up for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral this weekend after more than five years of reconstruction following the devastating 2019 blaze. The ceremony will host around 50 heads of state, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-117938","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}