Notre Dame Cathedral hosts reopening ceremony after 2019 fire

Outside the Notre Dame and across the Seine, a growing crowd of admirers have gathered in a designated fan zone, braving the rain and strong winds to watch the reopening unfold on large screens erected ahead of the event.

“I’ve been watching over the last couple of years the developments the spire going up and the scaffolding coming down,” said one Paris resident, Karen Jakobson.

“It’s an incredibly beautiful building and I guess I’m glad France took it upon itself to restore it to its former glory,” said Jakobson, 58.

The outgoing French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is under an outdoor tent receiving guests as they stream into Notre Dame.

Hollywood actor Salma Hayek is inside with her husband, the French billionaire and retail magnate François-Henri Pinault, who donated 100 million euros (roughly $105 million) towards the restoration of the cathedral.

Trump, Zelenskyy, and Macron are set to meet in Paris at the Élysée Palace.

After a day of pretty nice weather here in Paris, the temperature is dropping, the clouds have rolled in and it’s starting to rain.

As the reopening service for the Notre Dame steadily approaches, here’s how the schedule for the proceedings is expected to unfold:

At around 6:15 p.m. local time (12:15 p.m. ET): Macron and French First Lady Brigitte Macron are expected to arrive on the cathedral’s forecourt, followed by heads of state and dignitaries.

At 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. ET): Macron will deliver an address honoring the Notre Dame and efforts of the past five years to rebuild the iconic cathedral.

At 7:45 p.m. (1:45 p.m. ET): The reopening service, led by the Archbishop of Paris, will begin, marking the “reawakening” of the cathedral.

Just outside the Notre-Dame cathedral, final preparations are underway ahead of the grand reopening. Security measures are in place, with police, gendarmerie and army personnel patrolling the area.

A cordoned off area was already in place ahead of the arrival of royals, heads of state and dignitaries, including First lLady Jill Biden, President-elect Donald Trump and Prince William.

In the hours leading up to the Notre-Dame’s reopening, the famed cathedral has rarely felt more inaccessible. Police barricades and armed officers surrounded the historic site, blocking off bridges and entryways to the landmark and L’île de la Cité.

Crowds began to gather on bridges and walkways outside the security perimeter, with onlookers snapping photos and taking in the view of the cathedral before the start of the festivities.

Speaking to reporters alongside Macron, President-elect Trump said it is an “honor” to be in Paris and back with the French leader.

“We had a good time together and we had a lot of success, really great success, working together on defense and offense, too,” Trump said.

“It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now, and we’ll be talking about that,” he added.

Macron welcomed Trump back to the country and said he was honored to have him in Paris, thanking the president-elect for being there.

French President Emmanuel Macron greeted President-elect Donald Trump at the entrance of Élysée Palace. The two engaged in a prolonged handshake as Trump stepped out of his car.

Macron and Trump’s meeting appeared to have been delayed by about 40 minutes, though the reason for the delay was not immediately clear. Macron, who faces a tight schedule ahead of the Notre-Dame’s reopening, is also expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the ceremony.

After today’s service gets underway, the Archbishop is expected to bless the Great Organ, an instrument seen by many to serve as the beating heart of the cathedral.

The Archbishop will address the great organ eight times and each time, the organ will respond in song.

Awakening the Great Organ is just the beginning of a series of ceremonial rituals marking the reopening of the Notre-Dame before the Archbishop gives his final blessing, followed by the singing of the Te Deum, an ancient Latin hymn of praise to God. 

Today’s reopening service will begin with an enchanting exchange known as the rite of the opening of the doors — a ritual marking the “reawakening” of the cathedral.

Leading the service, Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich will strike the closed door of the Notre-Dame three times with a staff crafted from charred wood salvaged from the building’s roof. In response, a choir singing Psalm 121 with each knock before the doors finally swing open.

“How joyful it was when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” the psalm begins.

The rite symbolizes a powerful dialogue between the archbishop and the cathedral as it reawakens after a five-year slumber.

Macron may have succeeded in meeting his five-year deadline of reopening Notre-Dame by 2024, but he can’t control the weather.

Forecasts of strong winds in Paris tonight forced a last-minute change in plans for some of the celebrations slated for this evening. Festivities initially expected to take place outside Notre-Dame, including Macron’s address, have been move inside the cathedral.

Five years after the fire that tore through Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral, destroying most of its roof and its iconic spire, the iconic Gothic landmark will reopen its doors today in an evening of celebration and ceremony.

Hundreds of people, including dignitaries like President-elect Donald Trump and First Lady Jill Biden, are expected to attend a special reopening service this evening marking the “reawakening” of the centuries-old cathedral.

Leading the service, Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich will knock on the door of the Notre-Dame three times, with a choir “responding” each time with singing as the city reawakens before the doors finally swing open.

The service will follow by an address from President Emmanuel Macron with royalty, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world.