Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening: World leaders entry

Dec 7: With three resounding knocks on the doors of Notre-Dame by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a staff carved from fire-scorched beams, the restored cathedral officially reopened Saturday after a devastating 2019 fire. 

The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes ranging from pen-sized to torso-wide, resounded for the first time since a fire destroyed the cathedral in 2019.

"Awaken organ, sacred instrument," Paris Archibishop Laurent Ulrich beckoned before it was played.

The organ's newly renovated console, boasting five keyboards, 115 stops, and 30 foot pedals, was a marvel of restoration, reawakening a cornerstone of Notre-Dame’s identity.

The first Mass in the restored cathedral will be held on Sunday at 10:30am local time.

President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday expressed the "gratitude of the French nation" for the restoration of the Notre Dame cathedral after the devastating fire, saying "we have rediscovered what great nations can do - achieve the impossible". 

Message of Pope Frances:

The reopening of Notre Dame, Pope Francis said, serves as a prophetic symbol of the Church’s renewal in France. 

Describing the moment as one of transition "from sadness and mourning to joy, celebration, and praise," Pope Francis said he joins the faithful in spirit and prayer as Notre Dame Cathedral is reborn from the embers.

In a message addressed to Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris, the Pope expressed his joy on this historic day. The message was read by the Apostolic Nuncio to France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, during the inauguration ceremony on Saturday evening.

He also paid homage to the brave firefighters who risked their lives to preserve the structure and upheld the unwavering commitment of public authorities and the extraordinary international generosity that fueled the cathedral’s restoration.

“This generosity,” the Pope noted, “is not only a testament to humanity’s attachment to art and history but also to the enduring symbolic and sacred value of such an edifice, still widely recognized by people of all ages.”