
Notre Dame, Christmas and the Resurrection of the West
COMMENTARY: Having faced death, the rebuilt cathedral strikes a divine chord in the human heart.
COMMENTARY: Having faced death, the rebuilt cathedral strikes a divine chord in the human heart.
While the event demonstrated that Christian symbols continue to inspire hope, President Emmanuel Macron’s grandstanding highlighted the ascendancy of secularism in France.
One of the bishops in attendance was the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was also present at the Dec. 7 opening ceremony.
This medieval Gothic jewel — which, until its closure, was France’s most visited site, with some 13 million visitors a year, far ahead of the Eiffel Tower — is inextricably linked to the grand and epic history of France and to the soul of its people.
The reopening service, presided by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, will be attended by Macron, other officials, donors and Parisian clergy.
In a social media post, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops wrote that as the cathedral reopens its doors, “local churches in the U.S. are invited to peal their bells in a gesture of unity.”
Major religious and artistic treasures of the cathedral were removed as the fire began, including a relic of Christ’s crown of thorns.
People around the world contributed to the restoration of the sacred structure.
France’s famous church is expected to reopen Dec. 8, 2024.
‘When we are looking up to the sky and looking at cathedrals and we are filling our spirit with something beautiful and great, we can all act like our ancestors and like Jesus Christ wants us to act…’
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