Notre Damethe gothic jewel of Paris which caught fire in 2019, will officially reopen its doors on Saturday.
Immediately after the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron made an ambitious commitment to restore the church within five years.
Here’s everything you need to know about the days ahead.
What has happened so far?
On April 15, 2019, Notre-Dame was engulfed in flames. The cause of the fire remains a mystery. Investigators believe it was likely an accident, perhaps a lit cigarette or an electrical malfunction.
France – and much of the world – despaired when the roof of the 860-year-old cathedral collapsed, littering the stone floor with soot. Macron called it a “terrible tragedy” and pledged to rebuild the iconic church “because that is what our history deserves.” Some of the country’s richest businessmen have pledged hundreds of millions of euros for the restoration.
Who was invited?
The guest list will be long and illustrious, but the most notable attendee will be Donald Trump. The President-elect of the United States announcement he will travel to Paris – his first trip abroad since last month’s elections – for what will be “a very special day for everyone”.
The ceremony is expected to attract around fifty heads of state and government.
A notable absentee, however, will be Pope Francis. The pontiff will visit Corsica, a French Mediterranean island on December 15, just days after reopening, but will not travel to the capital. A prominent French archbishop said the “star” of the ceremony should be Notre Dame herself and that the pope did not want to distract from the occasion. Some 170 bishops from France and the world will also be associated with the ceremony, as well as a priest from each of the 106 parishes of the diocese of Paris.
What’s happening on Saturday?
Macron will deliver a speech in front of the cathedral around 6 p.m. (12 p.m. ET). The Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich will then strike the closed doors of the cathedral with his crozier, an ornate staff. Once the doors are opened, the cathedral “responds” to the knock by singing Psalm 121 — which begins “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills” — three times. After that, the doors will open.
The ceremony then takes place in three parts. First, the “awakening” of the grand organ, the largest in France, comprising 8,000 pipes and 115 stops. Second, the “song of the office” – a series of psalms and prayers, including the Our Father. Then the archbishop will give a final blessing and the choir will sing the Te Deum, a Latin hymn. The mass will be followed by a France TV program reporting on the reconstruction of the cathedral.
Learn more about the reopening of Notre-Dame.