While the liturgical texts of this Sunday, December 8, 2024 spoke of joy and celebration, Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral also resembled the renewed and resplendent Jerusalem described in Baruch’s book.
2,500 people participated in the first mass on Sunday December 8 © Yannick Boschat / Diocese of Paris
Completely renovated after five years of work, Notre-Dame finally leaves “ her dress of sadness “. It can regain its original vocation as a “house of prayer” and welcome the faithful, pilgrims and visitors from all over the world.
Unable to go there, Pope Francis sent a message to the Archbishop of Paris on December 7: “ Today, sadness and mourning give way to joy, celebration and praise (…). May the rebirth of this admirable church therefore constitute a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France. I invite all the baptized who will joyfully enter this cathedral to feel legitimate pride, and to reclaim their heritage of faith. »
“True praise to God the Father”
Mgr Laurent Ulrich opened the doors of the cathedral and revived the organ on Saturday evening. “ It is true praise that we address to God the Father of all, on this blessed evening. NWe have been waiting for this day for five years and here we are » he confided to the crowd gathered in front of the doors of the building.
The Archbishop was surrounded by the President of the French Republic, notably with the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and American President Donald Trump. Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the courage of the firefighters during the 2019 fire, thanked those involved in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame and underlined the national and international unity which made it possible to restore the building, a global symbol of history and culture.
- Mgr Laurent Ulrich, presided over the opening ceremonies © Julio Piatti / Notre-Dame de Paris
“Let yourself be dazzled by God”
On Sunday, December 8 in the morning, Bishop Ulrich presided over the first mass and consecrated the new altar in the presence of 2,500 people including 170 bishops, numerous clergy and lay faithful, as well as personalities from the cultural or political world.
« This morning, the sentence of April 15, 2019 is erased » he declared in his homily, “ in a certain way, and even if the astonishment caused by the fire may have been lasting, the pain was already overcome when prayer rose from the banks of the Seine and from hundreds of millions of hearts throughout the world. »
The new bronze altar now welcomes the relics of four French saints and a Romanian Blessed, all having a strong link with Paris: Saint Catherine Labouré, Saint Madeleine-Sophie Barat, Saint Marie-Eugénie Milleret, Saint Charles de Foucauld and Blessed Vladimir Ghika.
« With what love we will surround this altar » added the Archbishop of Paris, urging the faithful present to let themselves “ dazzle by God ”, and allow ourselves to be led towards greater proximity to the most vulnerable in society.
