“We meet deadlines”with a view to reopening Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral to worship and the public, planned in one year to the day, declared Emmanuel Macron during a visit to the construction site, Friday December 8. For the occasion, he announced the launch of a competition for the creation of “six stained glass windows” contemporaries who will carry “the brand of the 21ste century “ in the rebuilt cathedral, as well as the upcoming creation of a “Museum of the Work of Notre-Dame” in the premises neighboring the Hôtel-Dieu.
In an interview with France 2’s 13 hour news, the President of the Republic then announced that he was inviting Pope Francis to attend the reopening of the cathedral on December 8, 2024. “I hope so, in any case we will invite him”replied the head of state, when he was questioned about the possible presence of the pope. “The invitation will be extended. But it is not up to me to respond on his behalf.”he added.
“Image of a France that knows how to rebuild”
“It’s a fantastic image of hope and of a France that knows how to rebuild”said the head of state during his visit from the nave of the religious building, after climbing to its top to admire the new spire. He mentioned “a moment both important and moving” which testifies to “extraordinary progress” of “this project which seemed impossible”.
In a letter sent this week, Mgr Laurent Ulrich, Archbishop of Paris, had confirmed his ” wish “ to see the State order “a series of six stained glass windows for the south side chapels of the nave”. “I fully subscribe to it”the president responded on Friday. “It is with my full agreement that we are going to launch a competition which will allow contemporary artists to submit, on the basis of an order which will be placed, a figurative work”he added, before arguing: “The century which is ours will have its place among several others which appear in the works of this cathedral. »
The head of state also announced that the old stained glass windows “which date from Viollet-le-Duc”as well as the rooster, who fell on April 15, 2019 in the collapse of the spire during the fire which ravaged the cathedral, “will take their place in a Museum of the work of Notre-Dame de Paris”which will see the light of day “in the premises of the Hôtel-Dieu”. According to him, it will be “at the same time a history museum, an art museum, a museum which will also describe the permanent construction site of Notre-Dame de Paris”.