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The inauguration

Notre-Dame, Trump to Macron: 'It seems the world has gone a bit mad'. Three-way meeting with Zelensky

Final touches for the ceremony that will be attended by numerous heads of state and government leaders

by Riccardo Sorrentino

Aggiornato il 7 dicembre 2024, ore 21:00

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A diplomatic summit. Informal and very delicate. The reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was the occasion for a meeting at the Elysée Palace between Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky,

Trump, President-elect of the United States, was received this afternoon at the Elysée Palace, where he arrived 40 minutes late. "It seems the world has gone a little crazy today. We'll talk about it,' he said, addressing Macron, in the very brief meeting with press and photographers, after recalling his long relationship with France. Trump and Macron were joined after three quarters of an hour by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for an exchange of views on the war, which lasted about forty minutes.

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Le Monde reports on a tweet by Trump on X, which now no longer appears on his page. The president-elect reportedly wrote: 'A good and constructive threesome'. "We all want this war to end as soon as possible, and in a just way," he would have added, continuing: "Peace through strength is possible." "We continue our effort for peace and security," Macron meanwhile wrote. "President Trump is, as always, resolute," was Zelensky's comment0.

For the US president-elect this is his first international engagement, his presence in Paris is also a message to an important part of his electorate, the religious right in general. Trump is a Presbyterian, but the traditionalist Catholic world is among his most important supporters. Elon Musk is also present. In recent days, Musk's rude posting of preview images of the interior of the restored Notre-Dame on his social X before Macron visited the construction site for the last time caused controversy in France.

The ceremony began with the opening of the Cathedral by the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich, who knocked on the door in three rounds, interspersed with psalms sung by the Maîtrise Notre-Dame. After the parade of firemen and craftsmen involved in the reconstruction, the brothers Gautier et Renaud Capuçon, on violin and cello, performed a Passacaglia by Haendel (transcribed by Halvorsen from the Suite for harpsichord in G minor HWV 432).

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In his speech, President Macron expressed 'gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt'. "The bells of Notre-Dame are ringing again," he added, recalling what the cathedral has witnessed: the coronations of kings and Napoleon, the descriptions of Victor Hugo, the conversion, on Christmas night 1886, of Paul Claudel, the Liberation. Then the fire, the courage of the firemen, the commitment of more than two thousand workers, with the enormous diversity of skills. "They showed that we still have the will to carry out great projects". "We have discovered again," the president added, "what great nations can do: achieve the impossible. Finally, Macron evoked the 'universal fraternity' and the 'entre-aide', the mutual support needed to rebuild Notre-Dame. "And we," he added, "must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility and will, and never forget how each of us counts and how the greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of all. Tonight, together, we can share joy and pride. Monsignor, Notre-Dame of Paris is returned to you'. The Cathedral is the property of the French State, while the Church is the tenant.

The message of the Pope, who was absent, was then read, followed by a liturgical ceremony - not a mass, the altar designed by Guillaume Bardet will be consecrated today - which included a psalm for vespers, the archbishop's homily and a Magnificat accompanied by the cathedral's reborn organ, whose 7,952 pipes have been completely cleared of the ashes of the fire.

Notre-Dame was partially devastated by the fire on 19 April 2019. The restoration cost around 700 million, out of the 843 million contributed by some 340,000 donors from 150 countries, who contributed sums ranging from one euro to 200 million. Work will continue until 2028 to renovate the entire area surrounding the church.

Around 40 heads of state and government and many businessmen and well-known personalities attended the ceremony. Among them Elon Musk, who arrived by surprise. For Italy, there was the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

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