Grandeur Restored, Notre Dame Reopens

As the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral rang and its choir sang, the archbishop of Paris stood outside the entrance, knocking on the door with a crosier made of charred wood. "Notre Dame, model of faith," Archbishop Laurent Ulrich intoned, "open your doors to bring us together in joy, the dispersed children of God." On his final strike, the huge, heavy doors swung aside, and Notre Dame was reopened in a triumph for France, nearly five years after a devastating fire. The joyous ceremony—one day before the public will be admitted—included:

• VIP audience: A list of world leaders attended, the New York Times reports. First lady Jill Biden, who went with her daughter Ashley, represented the US and sat next to Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. President-elect Trump, who sat between the Macrons, brought Elon Musk. The UK's Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended.
• The building: Traditional techniques were employed in the restoration, and the Washington Post reports the structure appears brighter after centuries of grime and soot and lead dust left by the fire were scrubbed away. There's still scaffolding on the outside, as work is ongoing on elements including the flying buttresses, some of which will take years.
• The music: The 8,000-pipe great organ, built in the 19th century, roared back to life, with four organists at the keys. The instrument was not damaged in the fire but had to be dismantled, cleaned of lead dust, and reassembled. Just the tuning took six months; it could only be done at night, when construction work stopped. As the archbishop pronounced invocations eight times, an organist answered each with a brief improvisation, per the Times. When the doors opened, the choir sang, "Here is the home of God among men."

• The congregation: More than 2,500 people were in the cathedral, and viewing areas along the River Seine's southern bank had large screens set up with room for 40,000 spectators, per the AP. The cathedral expects 15 million people to visit each year, up from 12 million before the fire. The congregation broke its silence when the firefighters who battled the April 2019 blaze, erupting in applause.
• The pope: A message from Francis was read saying: "May the rebirth of this admirable church constitute a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France." The pope appeared to step into the debate about a proposal to charge visitors, expressing confidence that people will be welcomed "generously and free of charge."
• The reaction: The reopening was emotional for Catholics, as well as others. Tears streamed down the faces of people just outside, per NBC News. "It was heartbreaking for us in Germany to see this on TV," a teacher said. "We also have an intense relationship with the cathedral." Another visitor said that in France, "We are used to being so pessimistic about the capacity of the French government to actually manage a big task properly—and then eventually, it's here. We're so happy and proud."
• Macron: The president said the fire provided a reminder that "Notre Dame could disappear, and this cathedral could also be mortal." Rebuilding it in five years was a spectacular achievement and fulfilled Macron's promise. On Saturday, he called it "even more beautiful than before." Speaking almost in a whisper, he said: "We must keep this lesson of fraternity, humility and will. The greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from everyone."

(More Notre Dame Cathedral stories.)