Trump to attend Notre Dame reopening celebration

President-elect Donald Trump will attend the grand reopening ceremony at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France, this weekend, marking his first international trip since winning re-election.

In 2019, during Trump’s first term, the 800-year-old cathedral, one of the most awe-inspiring sites in all of Christendom, tragically caught fire, and much of the interior and exterior grandeur was damaged or destroyed.

Now, after more than five years of careful restoration efforts, the magnificent church is once again ready to return to its regular schedule and to welcome visitors from around the world to join in the worship and to admire the beauty and wonder of the structure.

The service will include the rite of reopening the doors and a rite to ‘awaken the grand organ,’ the cathedral website said. The archbishop will also lead the faithful in the chanting of the office.

To mark the occasion, clergy and French officials have arranged a series of events this week. On Saturday, Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside over a reopening service attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, donors, members of parishes across the archdiocese, and about 50 statesmen and other dignitaries from around the world — including President-elect Trump.

“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday evening.

“President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”

The service will include the rite of reopening the doors and a rite to “awaken the grand organ,” the cathedral website said. The archbishop will also lead the faithful in the chanting of the office, which consists of “a hymn, a psalm, the Magnificat, prayers for the world, and the Lord’s Prayer.”

The service will be followed by musical performances from several high-profile artists, including French opera singer Julie Fuchs and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was born in Paris.

The first official Mass will be held on Sunday. That first Mass will also initiate the “octave of reopening” — eight days of celebrations at the cathedral.

Trump’s trip to Notre Dame — French for “Our Lady” — follows multiple public statements he has made about the Virgin Mary and other Catholic figures. On September 8, the feast day of the birth of the Virgin Mary, Trump shared the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with the message “Happy Birthday Mary!” Three weeks later, he tweeted out the prayer to St. Michael.

Melania Trump is Catholic, as is Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump was baptized a Presbyterian, but he later described himself as a “nondenominational Christian.”

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