The Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, announced this during a press conference. The cathedral, devastated by the 2019 fire, will reopen to the public on December 8th.
Notre-Dame de Paris, the cathedral partially devastated by the fire on 15 April 2019, is ready to “welcome the whole world”, according to the words spoken at the press conference by the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich. “We are thirsty to welcome again under the vaults of the cathedral the whole world”, declared the high prelate, assuring that “15 million visitors” are expected every year in the religious building symbol of the Ville Lumiere.
Notre-Dame will reopen to the public on 8 December, the day of the Immaculate Conception, with entry possible ”until 10pm”, during the first week, specified the rector of the cathedral, Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas, who was also present at the media meeting called this morning at the Collège des Bernardins. Ribadeau-Dumas added that ”from December 16, ordinary life will resume its course”. The celebrations for the reopening, after five years of restoration following the fire, will begin on December 7 with a speech by President Emmanuel Macron in the churchyard – and not inside as initially emerged – and a still top secret concert. The following day will be followed by the inaugural mass with the consecration of the altar, at 10.30 am, with the Archbishop of Paris and the Head of State. According to Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas, “over 150 bishops from France and the world, priests and faithful representatives of the parishes of the diocese of Paris” will participate in the mass. A free ticketing system will allow visitors to book entry, Sybille Bellamy specified -Brown, responsible for managing the public in the cathedral. As for pilgrimages, they will be able to access “from February 1st”. When asked about Pope Francis’ absence on inauguration day, Ulrich said he understood the decision. “The Pope prefers to be present in the difficult situations of the world”, declared Ulrich, however hoping for “prayer” or a “message” from the Pontiff on the occasion of the reopening.
According to sources close to Macron, the five-year reconstruction promised (and kept) by the president ”is a French success and for which all French people are called to rejoice”, in the ”continuity of the success of the Olympic Games” of Paris 2024. A setback for those who boast about a supposed ”French decline”, highlighted in Paris. Financed solely with donations, the so-called ‘construction site of the century’ cost around 700 million euros. Contributing to the resurrection of Notre-Dame were thousands of workers, architects, restorers – including Polish or Italian ones – who worked hard despite constraints and difficulties: starting with the risks linked to lead dust or the stoppage of work during Covid -19. The fire sparked an unprecedented outburst of solidarity, with donations from all over the world amounting to 844 million euros.
