Notre Dame: Historic Paris cathedral formally reopens

The proceedings inside the renovated "Grande Dame de Paris" concluded with a rendition of the French national anthem as the roughly 1,500 gathered dignitaries stood.

After the anthem, the bells of Notre Dame rang out again, as Macron had celebrated earlier in the ceremony.

You can watch the proceedings in full on our YouTube site. 

Pope Francis, who is not attending the ceremony as he appointed 21 new cardinals in the Vatican on Saturday, still sent a message that was read aloud.

The pontiff said that the "immense" numbers set to visit the restored Notre Dame cathedral should still be welcomed "generously and free of charge." 

Church officials in France have bristled at a proposition from the French Culture Ministry to consider a charge for entry after the renovation. 

The restoration was for the most part funded by public donations to the church in the aftermath of the fire, with roughly €700 million ($740 million) spent to date, and with more work still to do.

Speaking before the liturgy began, President Macron said he wanted to first express the "gratitude of the French nation" to those who had worked to restore the 12th century building. 

"We must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility and will, and never forget how much each person counts, and how the greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of all," he said.

Macron spoke of the building's central place in France and Paris' history, and in French culture, for instance citing Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at length.

He lauded the speed and quality of restoration work that he said some thought unfeasible after the fire. 

"We have rediscovered what great nations were capable of: realizing the impossible," Macron said.

He also said the cathedral served as a "pleasant metaphor" for the modern French nation and its values like fraternity.  

"Notre Dame tells us that our dreams, even the most audacious, are only possible with the will of each and the engagement of all. Our cathedral reminds us that we are the inheritors of a past that is greater than us, which can disappear on any day," he said. 

"This evening, together, we can share in the joy and the pride," he said at the conclusion of his speech. "Long live Notre Dame de Paris, long live the Republic, long live France." 

Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich commanded the cathedral "open your doors" on entry for the ceremony. 

Macron and US President-elect Trump both sat in the front row for proceedings. 

A long standing ovation and period of applause for Paris firefighters who had battled and ultimately controlled the blaze dominated the opening minutes of the ceremony. 

The remainder was punctuated by musical performances and hymns. 

The cathedral's bells rang out a little after 7 p.m. local time as the ceremony was set to begin. 

DW's Lisa Louis in Paris said the sounds were met with cheers from those waiting outside. 

President Macron and his wife Brigitte stood outside the entry to the building as members of the clergy paraded past them an into the buidling. 

Zelenskyy and Trump met while visiting French President Macron at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, ahead of attending the Notre Dame opening ceremony.

The three leaders posed for a picture before the meeting.

Zelenskyy called the meeting "good and productive" on social media.

"We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace," he said in a post on X.

Reacting to the discussions, Macron wrote on social media: "Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security."

The three leaders then headed out of the palace, as the ceremony was due to start.

The Paris visit is Trump's first international trip since he won the presidential election last month. He met with Macron first, before they were joined by Zelenskyy.

"We had a good time together and we had a lot of success, really great success," said the president-elect of his meeting with Macron. "It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now, and we'll be talking about that."

The visit comes as NATO allies try to learn more about Trump's likely stance on the war in Ukraine after his inauguration on January 20, after he repeatedly called for a rapid end to the conflict on the campaign trail. 

French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting between US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Elysee announced on Saturday.

The meeting comes as both leaders are in Paris to attend the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral.

Trump met with Macron earlier on Saturday, and Zelenskyy was scheduled to join them shortly, the French AFP news agency cited an unnamed source as saying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

He is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron at 5 p.m. local time on Saturday (1600 UTC).

Macron is also set to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump an hour before discussions with Zelenskyy.

During his election campaign, Trump cast doubt on US military aid to Ukraine and called for a swift negotiated settlement with Russia.

"We expect a good decision from today's meeting with Macron," the French AFP news agency quoted a Ukrainian delegation source as saying, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The time for the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris has finally come, and there's a sense of excitement in the air in the French capital.

“Paris without Notre Dame is just not Paris — it's really touching to see it reopen," one Parisian lady told DW, beaming with joy, as she was walking along the Seine riverbank, not far from the monument.

Starting on Saturday morning, people began taking up places in the front rows of what the authorities are calling "boxes" — fenced-off areas around Notre Dame with space for some 40,000 people.

The spectators will be able to watch tonight's ceremony on giant screens put up along the Seine.

A large area around the 800-year-old monument has been cordoned off with a heavy security perimeter in place, similar to the buffer zone set up during this year's Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.

President Emmanuel Macron is hoping Saturday's event will be similar to the Olympics in another way, with the French capital turning into a bubble of happiness during the summer.  

Macron, during a televised speech on Thursday night, said he hoped the Notre Dame ceremony would also bring about a "jolt of hope."

That's something France desperately needs after opposition parliamentarians this week ousted its government over the vote for the 2025 budget. The move has thrown the country into political and economic uncertainty and brought additional turmoil to Europe in times of international conflict and divisions.

Wars are raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. And with Trump soon back at the White House, trade wars are likely to gain speed.

Tonight's ceremony won't solve these issues. But at least, it'll be a moment of respite.

The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is set to reopen its doors on Saturday for the first time in five years.

The 861-year-old cathedral was nearly destroyed in a devastating fire in April 2019.

Over €840 million ($888 million) was raised in donations in the aftermath of the fire to restore the monument.

Authorities said the opening ceremony would be held inside the structure due to a forecast of strong winds.

According to the Elysee Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump for bilateral talks on Saturday afternoon and will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later in the day. 

Both are among the thousands of guests expected to attend the ceremony.

Pianist Lang Lang, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and soprano Pretty Yende are among the artists slated to perform in the ceremony, which will be led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.

sdi/rmt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)