(Hélène de Lauzun/The European Conservative) — The ceremony for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which comes after five years of intense work to raise it from the ashes following the terrible fire in April 2019 that almost destroyed it from top to bottom, is scheduled for December 7th and 8th is expected to attract crowds of anonymous visitors and celebrities alike. Some fifty heads of state are expected to attend, including newly-elected U.S. President Donald Trump, who has announced his arrival—unlike Pope Francis, who has not seen fit to come to Paris and is concentrating on a more confidential trip to Corsica.
“I am honoured to announce that I will be travelling to Paris, France on Saturday to witness the reopening of the magnificent and historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” Donald Trump said on his Truth Social network. This is a highly symbolic gesture on his part, as it will be his first international trip since winning the U.S. presidential election on November 5th.
Donald Trump’s presence is a personal gesture, but also a way of saluting the exceptional mobilisation of American donors who have contributed en masse to the cathedral’s recovery. Out of 340,000 donors, 65,000 were Americans, who contributed $70 million in donations to finance the work. Alongside the official ceremonies, a dinner is planned in honour of the great American patrons, which is expected to bring together no fewer than 80 dignitaries of significant wealth. The U.S. ambassador to France, Denise Bauer, the French ambassador to the United States, Laurent Bili, and the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, have also confirmed their attendance.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Île de la Cité in Paris at dusk. Image credit: Daniel Vorndran / DXR, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
