Notre-Dame Cathedral has held its first mass since it reopened following the disastrous fire of 2019.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, attended the liturgy at the Paris landmark, along with clergy, dignitaries, and guests.
Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part, as well as one priest from each of the parishes in the Paris diocese and one priest from each of the seven Eastern-rite Catholic churches, accompanied by worshippers from these communities.
It has taken more than five years of intricate reconstruction work, funded by £800m in donations from around the world, to restore the grandeur of the celebrated Catholic cathedral, which was built between the 12th and 14th centuries.
The limestone walls of the Gothic masterpiece now gleam after being cleaned of centuries of grime and the restored stained-glass windows project dazzling patterns of colour across the nave.
Notre-Dame’s rector, the Rev Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, said no one alive “has seen the cathedral like this. It is more than restored – it is reborn”.
Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, presided over the mass, including consecrating a new bronze altar.
The service was closed to the general public, but thousands of people watched from viewing areas along the nearby River Seine.
Nathalie Martino, visiting family in the city, said she “cried so much that day,” when much of the building was destroyed by fire five years ago, and “had to come. It was something I needed to do”.
A lucky few of the faithful who secured reservations last week will see the restored interior for themselves later on Sunday at an evening mass.
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Archbishop Ulrich symbolically reopened the cathedral’s massive wooden doors by striking them three times with a crosier crafted from charred beams salvaged from the fire during Saturday’s ceremonial reopening.
As the doors swung open, choirs filled the cathedral with song and the cathedral’s great organ – silent since the fire – resounded with majestic melodies.
