{"id":117970,"date":"2024-12-07T20:45:18","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T20:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/world-leaders-gather-for-reopening-of-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris-al-jazeera-english\/"},"modified":"2024-12-07T20:45:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T20:45:18","slug":"world-leaders-gather-for-reopening-of-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris-al-jazeera-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/world-leaders-gather-for-reopening-of-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris-al-jazeera-english\/","title":{"rendered":"World leaders gather for reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris &#8211; Al Jazeera English"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>French President Emmanuel Macron thanks all who \u2018saved, helped, rebuilt\u2019 beloved cathedral after devastating 2019 fire.<\/em><br \/>World leaders have gathered in the French capital for the reopening of <a href=\"\/news\/2024\/12\/7\/notre-dame-cathedral-reopens-five-years-after-devastating-blaze\">the Notre-Dame Cathedral<\/a>, five years after the UNESCO World Heritage site was severely damaged in a fire that drew a global outpouring of support.<br \/>Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich ceremonially opened the doors to Notre-Dame on Saturday evening at the start of a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and other heads of state from around the world.<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US <a href=\"\/news\/2024\/12\/7\/not-our-fight-president-elect-trump-distances-us-from-syrias-conflict\">President-elect Donald Trump<\/a>, who was making his first overseas trip since winning last month\u2019s US election, were among the many leaders in attendance.<br \/>\u201cTonight, I stand before you \u2026 to express the gratitude of the French nation \u2013 gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt Notre-Dame,\u201d Macron said during the ceremony.<br \/>\u201cTonight, the bells of Notre-Dame will ring again.\u201d<br \/>Nous y sommes.<br \/>Le monde nous regarde.<br \/>Allons r\u00e9ouvrir Notre-Dame !<br \/>\u2014 Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EmmanuelMacron\/status\/1865458858241544536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 7, 2024<\/a><br \/><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"><\/script><br \/><em>[Translation: \u201cHere we are. The world is watching us. Let\u2019s reopen Notre-Dame!\u201d]<\/em><br \/>The 2019 fire <a href=\"\/features\/2019\/4\/16\/notre-dame-fire-france-is-crying-and-the-whole-world-too\">brought the beloved, 12th-century gothic<\/a> cathedral close to collapse, as flames engulfed Notre-Dame and sent massive plumes of smoke billowing into the sky above Paris. Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze.<br \/>Following the fire, <a href=\"\/podcasts\/2024\/12\/6\/the-take-as-frances-notre-dame-reopens-whose-heritage-is-worth-1bn\">nearly $1bn in donations<\/a> poured in from around the world to help with reconstruction efforts.<br \/>The cathedral has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again.<br \/>French firefighters who helped fight the fire received a standing ovation during Saturday\u2019s reopening ceremony. The word \u201cmerci\u201d \u2013 French for \u201cthank you\u201d \u2013 was also illuminated on the front of the building.<br \/>Parisian careworker Pascal Tordeux, who has a tattoo on his arm representing the cathedral, told the Reuters news agency that Notre-Dame \u201cmeans everything\u201d.<br \/>\u201cI saw the construction every day from my window, the spire being brought down, being brought back,\u201d said Tordeux, who lives across the river from the cathedral. \u201cI saw it burn, I saw it rise again. I followed it day by day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The reopening comes as Macron faces a political crisis at home after parliament earlier this week <a href=\"\/news\/2024\/12\/4\/french-pm-michel-barniers-government-loses-confidence-vote\">pushed out his prime minister<\/a>.<br \/>Al Jazeera\u2019s Natacha Butler, reporting from outside Notre-Dame on Saturday evening, said the French president \u2013 who had promised to rebuild the cathedral in five years \u2013 is hoping to distract from that political uncertainty.<br \/>\u201cWe have also seen Macron use this as something of an opportunity for a bit of last-minute diplomacy,\u201d Butler explained. Macron held talks with Zelenskyy and Trump at the Elysee before the ceremony.<br \/>\u201cIt was behind closed doors, but no doubt, Macron will be rather pleased that he\u2019s managed to get these two together before Trump is inaugurated in January,\u201d Butler added.<br \/><a href=\"\/news\/2024\/11\/26\/worst-case-scenario-ukraine-awaits-trumps-presidency-with-trepidation\">Observers have raised concerns<\/a> that Trump \u2013 who has questioned continued US support for Ukraine since Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion \u2013 could cut off Washington\u2019s assistance to Kyiv once he takes office.<br \/>In a post on X, the Ukrainian president described Saturday\u2019s meeting with Macron and Trump as \u201cgood and productive\u201d.<br \/>\u201cWe all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace,\u201d Zelenskyy wrote. \u201cWe agreed to continue working together and keep in contact. Peace through strength is possible.\u201d<br \/>I had a good and productive trilateral meeting with President <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@realDonaldTrump<\/a> and President <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EmmanuelMacron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@EmmanuelMacron<\/a> at the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace.<br \/>President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him. I also extend my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting.<br \/>We all want\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eKMtuhp2ZI\">pic.twitter.com\/eKMtuhp2ZI<\/a><br \/>\u2014 Volodymyr Zelenskyy \/ \u0412\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u0417\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZelenskyyUa\/status\/1865451236482310227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 7, 2024<\/a><br \/><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"><\/script><br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Follow Al Jazeera English:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNeHp5UjRkOEZ3NmkyVHZaLXVwd3BsZjhxRlRiU01pY1hWcmpJVXNyRFAwWjJCNV9MbXNkeV9KcnVpeE9VQjVXNlQtTm53TlVkV1JjWG4xTEhrNWpBbDVTZ194aDJ6WU9LRWZLdEhwc2RJWF9wSXZBUW1lUGxfRmVOdmlWM3lpYVZYdzl1c1VjaEZ4TGdQMW1RRk1KakV5MmFHZkd1TU1XWUs5UGwt0gGyAUFVX3lxTE1oSHRFcDNJTlhmNGN2Tk4ydHlQZUxwYU9WRU9rVlF3X3ZyNlpjSW0zVmZNVnVqNVNkcVQwX3dUUVV6RUlXU1Y5N2p5WmRtVGc5bjFydDYwU3FvYkMwOFV6ZERKai1UanU2dW41c1NvaXVLdGVsWjBtVkV6OGNMZFRSSEJIRGRoX25zclNnUm5iQjBUM1ZTRC1pQmtfXzFPdDhTcmNnTkUyY2YwdWlPMTREcXc?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>French President Emmanuel Macron thanks all who \u2018saved, helped, rebuilt\u2019 beloved cathedral after devastating 2019 fire.World leaders have gathered in the French capital for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, five years after the UNESCO World Heritage site was severely damaged in a fire that drew a global outpouring of support.Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich ceremonially [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117971,"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-117970","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\/117970","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=117970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}