World
French President Macron hosts Trump, Musk at Notre-Dame reopening ceremony in Paris
Trump, Zelenskyy welcomed by Macron for Notre Dame reopening ceremony
French President Emmanuel Macron and caretaker Prime Minister Michel Barnier welcomed guests to the reopening ceremony of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.
As the church bells rang on Saturday, the Archbishop of Paris symbolically marked the reopening of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral with three slow knocks on its ornate wooden doors.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed world leaders, first responders and artisans to celebrate the restoration of the 860-year-old building, which had been devastated by a fire in 2019.
“I stand before you to express the gratitude of the French nation, our gratitude to all those who saved, helped and rebuilt the cathedral,” Macron said.
The global guest list included First Lady Jill Biden, President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, a close adviser in Trump’s transition team, also attended, as did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former French presidents François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.
“Tonight we can together share joy and pride. Long live Notre-Dame de Paris, long live the Republic and long live France,” said the French leader.
The much beloved French cathedral has been meticulously restored, according to Reuters. A new spire and rib vaulting, along with the flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles, have been returned to their former glory, and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again.
Getting Trump to attend and organizing a meeting between Macron and Ukraine’s leader at the Élysée Palace ahead of the Notre Dame ceremony was a sizable win for the French leader as he faces a political crisis at home after parliament ousted his prime minister.
Trump shook hands with Britain’s Prince William and heads of state and government as he made his way to the front of the cathedral. He sat next to Macron in the front row.
Earlier, guests stood and applauded as Zelenskyy walked into the cathedral.
Saturday night’s concert included performances by Pharrell Williams, Angélique Kidjo, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianists Lang Lang and Khatia Buniatishvili, organist Olivier Latry, violinists Renaud Capuçon and Daniel Lozakovich, opera stars Nadine Sierra, Pretty Yende and Benjamin Bernheim, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. A light show illuminated the building’s western facade, as previously reported by USA TODAY.
On the evening of April 15, 2019, dismayed Parisians rushed to the scene and TV viewers worldwide watched horrified as the fire raged through the cathedral.
“The planet was shaken on that day,” Macron said ahead of Saturday’s event. “The shock of the reopening will – I believe, and I want to believe – be as strong as that of the fire, but it will be a shock of hope.”
USA TODAY’s Mike Snyder and Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.
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