The celebration surrounding the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris “will actually last six months,” according to the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich. He described that the cathedral was “much more beautiful“than before, after five years of work.
The first mass open to the faithful will be celebrated this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. local time and “in people’s memory, no one has seen the cathedral as it is now,” Ulrich noted. “Many people told me: ‘give us back the cathedral as it was’. But it will be much more beautiful,” said the archbishop.
Notre Dame reopening will last six months
This Saturday’s ceremony will have the “awakening of the organ”the largest in France and on Sunday the inaugural mass will be celebrated in the morning, with the presence of 170 bishops and priests from the 106 Parisian parishes.
However, the reopening will not be limited to a single weekend. covered by the media worldwide: for eight days there will be deployments, “an extension of the first day”, with masses that are accessed by invitation or reservations (already sold out).
However, Monsignor Ulrich stressed: “Notre Dame’s reopening period will actually last six months, until Pentecost, which falls on June 8, 2025“And he added that three masses are planned every day, pilgrimages from parishes in Paris, “around it and from all over France,” he added in a conversation with AFP.
After these six months, the ordinary rhythm will be resumed within the cathedral and will open to the public with free reservations every half hour, to avoid waiting time.
Pope Francis will not attend the reopening of Notre Dame
Pope Francis will be absent from the event, about whom Ulrich considers that “There are places where it is more necessary for the Pope to provide visibility, consolation, help and support“. One of the reasons is that The Supreme Pontiff wants the cathedral “to be the star”and not him, according to spokespersons.
Furthermore, they stated that Bergoglio has his sights set on the poor. Despite his decision, Francisco sent a message that will be read this Saturday. Some point out that the Pope was upset by the French policies of reducing the immigration and the inclusion of abortion in the Constitution.
Source: Ambito
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