Pope Francis is set to travel to Paris to celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral on December 8, following a five-year restoration effort after the devastating fire of April 15, 2019.
The visit, according to elDiario.es, will include a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, reflecting the “symbolic and emotional significance” of the event. The Pope is expected to preside over the Mass alongside Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor Laurent Ulrich, joined by numerous priests and bishops.
This will be Pope Francis’s first official visit to Paris. “We are considering it,” he said when asked about the visit, accompanied by a “wink and a mischievous smile,” reported LaTribune.fr.
Ahead of the reopening, the French state will officially hand over the cathedral to the Catholic Church on December 7, during a liturgical ceremony featuring a blessing, a Magnificat and Vespers.
Pope Francis’s presence at the event could also involve the opening of the First Holy Door of the Great Jubilee of 2025. His visit to Notre Dame follows his current tour of Asia and Oceania, the longest journey of his pontificate.
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