Pope Francis will not participate in the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, despite the invitation made by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The emblematic cathedral of Paris will officially reopen its doors on December 7 and 8, after intensive work following the devastating fire of April 2019. An opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday December 7 with Emmanuel Macron and various heads of state present. The next day, a mass will inaugurate the reopening to the public.
Despite the French president’s insistence, Pope Francis expressed his unequivocal refusal, telling the press: “I will not go to Paris, I will not go to Paris.”
This refusal raises questions about potentially tense relations between Paris and the Vatican, accentuated by the announcement of a papal visit to Corsica planned for December 15, a week after the Parisian festivities.
Mgr Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the bishops of France, nevertheless clarified the situation, affirming that no visit by the Pope was planned for this event. He stressed that “the star is the cathedral and not the Pope’s visit to France.”
Some sources suggest that Pope Francis favors his visits to marginalized regions, which explains his trip to Corsica, a first for a pontiff.
This visit is of particular interest because Corsica, benefiting from the status of a single territorial collectivity, is at the heart of discussions on its autonomy with the French government.
Finally, a meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Pope Francis is actually planned in Corsica, before the departure of the Sovereign Pontiff from the island.
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