Trump to attend Notre Dame Cathedral's grand reopening in Paris
United States President-elect Donald Trump has announced his plans to attend the grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend. The historic 850-year-old cathedral, an epitome of French Gothic architecture, was severely damaged by a fire on April 15, 2019. The full restoration of the cathedral took five years to complete.
Trump praises Macron's efforts in cathedral restoration
Trump announced his attendance on his Truth Social network. He wrote, "It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the magnificent and historic Notre Dame Cathedral." He also praised French President Emmanuel Macron for ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory.
Macron hails workers for achieving 'the impossible'
Earlier, Macron had inspected the restoration work and lauded the workers for doing what he called "the impossible" by healing a "national wound." The French President had set an ambitious goal to rebuild Notre Dame within five years and make it "even more beautiful" than before. French authorities confirm that the target has been met.
Notre Dame restoration involved 250 companies, hundreds of experts
The restoration of Notre Dame included 250 companies and hundreds of experts at a cost of nearly €700 million. The project was financed by €846 million in donations from 150 countries. The reopening ceremonies will be held on December 7 and 8, followed by an octave of activities till December 15. These will include two performances of Magnificat by Jean-Sebastien Bach on December 17 and 18.
Reopening service to be presided over by Archbishop of Paris
The reopening service will be presided over by the Archbishop of Paris and attended by Macron and Trump. The ceremony will be attended by politicians, benefactors, representatives from all Parisian parishes, members of the cathedral chapter, and Parisian clergy. During the ritual, the Archbishop will hit Notre Dame's locked door with his staff while Psalm 121 is sung thrice as a "reaction." On the third occasion, doors will open with a chorus of gratitude.
