The beginning of the Paris Cathedral of Notre Dame after reconstruction has 2 dimensions. 7 December – more "Republican", and 8 December – religious. However, the signing of the lay Republic under the Catholic temple raises certain ambiguities and resembles a frog that went to the forge to stand ft while forging a horse. Catholic France, which created, among others, masterpieces of architecture, was marginalized, and the Republic of its works effectively destroyed during its revolutions. Today, the Republic wants to “warm” in the light of the cathedral Gothic and discount the global dimension of this event to fix and improve the “Republican image”.
It is precisely due to a "politicisation" date on 7 December that Pope Francis resigned from his visit to Paris. However, it will send to the beginning of the cathedral "the message to the French". In the end, Francis will be represented by the Apostolic Nuncio in France, Bishop Celestino Migliore. Francis stated that "The star of the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris is Notre-Dame de Paris (Our woman of Paris) herself". The obscure chapter of the celebrations on the “sacrum” and “profanum” and reception of this event in the planet raises the most doubts of believers.
Notre-Dame beginning ceremonies will begin on Saturday at 19:00 in the square in front of the cathedral of the movie depicting the events concerning its reconstruction, from the minute of the fire which took place on 15 April 2019, until the temple regained full of radiance. The ceremony will be attended by 35 abroad leaders. The “Republic” part is to be an chance to show “French pride”. The most crucial guests, in the number of 1500, will sit in the square in front of the cathedral, under a large tent. Among the 35 heads of state and government will be the president of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, head of the European Commission Ursula van der Leyen, but besides the President-elect of the USA Donald Trump and current First woman of this country Jill Biden. Mr Michel Barnier, retired Prime Minister, and erstwhile French Prime Ministers and Presidents, was besides invited.
After the release of the film, there will be a short classical music recital performed by the Capuçon brothers. This is an introduction to president Emmanuel Macron's speech. The Elysée Palace informed that it would only take about 15 minutes, as the president realises that “the main protagonist of the day is Notre-Dame”.
The second phase of the ceremony has a spiritual dimension and is associated with the “opening of the cathedral's doors” around 19:40 p.m. by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris. This 1 will first knock on the door of the temple 3 times and hear in consequence a answer in the performance of the cathedral choir. An interesting fact is that Archbishop Ulrich, who was appointed Archbishop of Paris in 2022, did not have the chance to officially take possession of his cathedral, which was inactive in reconstruction.
The Archbishop will enter the building first and then welcome president Emmanuel Macron and his spouse there. From 8:15 to 21:00, there will be a “pleasant awakening of organs”. The psalms, Magnificat and Te Deum, will be played and sung. After the end of the liturgical part, there will be a return to the “republican rite” and it will have a performance in front of the Cathedral, from classical music to contemporary singers and even DJ performances.
The liturgical function will not be restored until Sunday 8 December, at 10.30 p.m. The altar will then be consecrated as a sign of purification, and the relics of the 5 saints will be laid on it and the first Mass will be celebrated.
However, the beginning of the cathedral will last a full of six months. The building can accommodate only 40,000 people a day and you will should be patient. In the first week, Masses were scheduled for the parishes of Paris. Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of Paris, besides liable for the renovation of the cathedral, praises that “no 1 in the planet has seen specified a dazzling Notre-Dame” and “we will never be able to thank donors and employees enough.” The cathedral returns to life and the authorities anticipate it to receive more visitors than before the fire.
It is worth noting that in Macron's presidential message delivered on 5 December, shortly after the fall of Barnier's government, there was an appeal just to open Notre-Dame Cathedral. The French president said: “On Saturday, we will celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris to the public. We managed to implement this project, which we thought was impossible." He added that this had been done, “because there was a clear direction and will. (...) We must do the same for the nation: take a clear course for health, safety and climate”.
As far as Macron's discounting the beginning of Notre-Dame politically, it's already, for example, Disneyland's sub-Parises doing it... business. The park of attractions besides wants to usage the sound strategy and "celebrates" from 5 to 14 December the reopening of Notre-Dame with a peculiar night show on which drones play the facade of Notre-Dame de Paris in the sky above the park. There are besides demonstrations of fireworks in music from the movie "The Bell from Notre Dame". A peculiar program, which lasts about 10 minutes, was titled "Disney love Notre-Dame de Paris". Disneyland Paris says that this show is “a real tribute to the attachment it has to France, its cultural wealth and its unique heritage”. However, this second example of the "attachment to heritage" may prove to be the most dangerous and shows that the return of the masterpiece of Gothic art, which was a carrier of symbolic spiritual message, is brought to a completely secular pop-culture.
Bogdan Dobosh
