An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on

PARIS (AP) — Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame Cathedral ’s heart from beating again.

With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life Saturday evening. For the first time since a devastating blaze nearly destroyed it in 2019, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened for worship, its rebirth marked by song, prayer, and awe beneath its soaring arches.

The ceremony, initially planned to begin on the forecourt, was moved entirely inside due to unusually fierce December winds sweeping across the Île de la Cité, flanked by the River Seine. Yet the occasion lost none of its splendor. Inside the luminous nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ, silent for nearly five years, thundered to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies.

The restoration, a spectacular achievement in just five years for a structure that took nearly two centuries to build, is seen as a moment of triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline — and a welcome respite from his domestic political woes.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/notre-dame-reopens-doors-macron-070151271.html

French first lady helps keep Trump, Bidens apart at Notre Dame

French officials solved an awkward seating dilemma at the Notre Dame cathedral re-opening on Saturday by placing First Lady Brigitte Macron between US President-elect Donald Trump and Joe Biden's wife and daughter in the front row at the ceremony.

The presence of Trump and the outgoing president's family presented protocol planners with a headache so soon after one of the most bitter election campaigns in US history.

Trump ridiculed Biden as "Sleepy Joe" throughout, while Biden called Trump a "threat to democracy" and let it be known that he considered him a "fascist" on the eve of the November 5 vote.

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President Biden, 82, decided against travelling to Paris and appeared visibly tired as he made a historic first visit by a US leader to Angola in southern Africa on Tuesday and Wednesday.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/french-first-lady-helps-keep-200606938.html