Notre Dame Cathedral hosted its first Mass since 2019 on Sunday, more than five years after a fire devastated the historic building.
Archbishop Laurent Ulrich led the proceedings and French president Emanuel Macron was in attendance. About 2,500 people heard the liturgy, including many clergy and dignitaries. The ceremony was not open to the general public.
The cathedral was ceremonially reopened Saturday, with Macron and President-elect Trump in attendance. But Sunday’s Mass was the first religious service in the 12th-century building since the blaze.
Many people watched from outside in the rain hoping for a glimpse of the monumental occasion. The security operation was compared to the recently completed 2024 Paris Olympics.
“There is so much security,” retired engineer Claude Lancrenon told The Associated Press while watching on. “Yesterday, that seemed appropriate. But today, I had hoped it would be more open so we could approach the cathedral. I still hope we’ll be able to get closer.”
Reservations for the evening Mass were snapped up in 25 minutes last week.
Macron attended the ceremonies despite political turbulence in France, where the prime minister was ousted last week in a no-confidence vote. He did not take communion Sunday, in line with the French separation of church and state.
“I stand before you … to express the gratitude of the French nation,” he said at Saturday’s event. “Tonight, the bells of Notre Dame are ringing again.”
Construction on the cathedral started in 1163, making it one of the oldest still-standing buildings in the world. A fire on April 15, 2019, toppled the cathedral’s iconic spire and threatened the integrity of the entire structure before it was doused. Workers have spent the past five years meticulously restoring the cathedral.
With News Wire Services
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