Pope Francis declines Notre Dame reopening amid Macron's pleas
Pope Francis will not attend the opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The head of the Church believes that his presence could distract attention from the ceremony's purpose.
Pope Francis has decided not to attend the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He felt that his presence might distract from the main goal of the event.
Emmanuel Macron tried multiple times to convince the Pope to change his decision.
The French station BFM TV reports that the Pope was irritated by the insistence from the President of France. Macron, on the other hand, was frustrated by the refusals from Francis. The Pope emphasised that his visit might distract the faithful from the ceremonies related to the reopening of the cathedral after its five-year reconstruction.
Paris has been waiting for this for five years. Soon the opening of Notre-Dame Cathedral
The opening is planned for 8 December. The cathedral will be open until 10 p.m. on the 14th of the month. Archbishop Ulrich expressed hope that the cathedral will once again become a meeting place for "15 million visitors" annually.
On 29 November, Macron will visit the construction site to thank everyone involved in the reconstruction. Then, on 7 December, a service will be held during which the state will symbolically hand over the rebuilt cathedral to the Church. Representatives of countries that financially supported the reconstruction will participate in the ceremony, although not all of them represent Christian culture.
