Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame’s heart from beating again.
With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the cathedral roared back to life Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze engulfed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches.
While the ceremony was initially planned to begin on the forecourt, unusually fierce December winds whipping across the Île de la Cité, flanked by the River Seine, forced all events inside. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendor. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies.
The evening’s celebration, attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, underscored Notre Dame’s enduring role as both a spiritual and cultural beacon.
For President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious five-year restoration timeline, it was a rare moment of unity amid profound political crises and threats to his presidential legacy—a clear pivot to elevate the celebration into a fully fledged diplomatic event.