By Bishop Nicholas Hudson who represented Cardinal Vincent Nichols at the Solemn Reopening and Dedication of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday, 7 December 2024.
I have known Notre Dame Cathedral all my life. My mother was Paris-born; and used to take us there as often she could. So I was touched to be asked to represent Cardinal Nichols and the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales at the Solemn Reopening and Dedication.
As children, we were deeply fond of Notre Dame. But we were always surprised at how dark it was – both inside and out. For those of us privileged to witness its reopening it was a joy to enter now a cream-white cathedral, brighter than one could ever have imagined it – and yet still the same dear Notre Dame. We told one another, 'This is what it must have been like to enter a new Gothic cathedral in the Middle Ages!'
The new elements I immediately liked. We were welcomed at the West Door by a massive bronze font which carries the eye upwards and forwards to the equally imposing bronze altar – and still further up to the great gold cross which survived the fire and surmounts the newly dedicated tabernacle. To the right of the altar stands a yet more unlikely survivor, the 14th century statue of Our Lady of the Pillar – unlikely, because she stood only feet away from where the spire had crashed to the Cathedral floor that fateful night in 2019. Surely it was Divine Providence which had saved her, we told one another. She was rightly the main focus and channel of our prayers in the Reopening ceremony.
The ceremony began with the tolling of Notre Dame’s greatest bell. This sound was matched later in the evening by another sound – the 'Reawakening' of the organ. The Archbishop of Paris, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, addressed the organ personally: 'Organ, sing now the praise of God the Father,' and the organ awoke. 'Organ, sing now the praise of God the Son … of God the Spirit … of God’s Mother Mary, Notre Dame'; and the organ responded differently to each of his commands.
Before the organ sounded, we witnessed perhaps a still more powerful moment, when the Cathedral was filled with firemen and women who paraded the length of the Cathedral in bright red uniform, brass helmets under their arms, at last to take their bow – to lengthy, lengthy applause from Princes, Presidents, Prime Ministers, bishops, priests, the blind and the lame and people with learning disabilities (these guests had pride of place, with front-row seats), and countless others. Many shed a tear – firefighters included. Due honour was paid as well to the countless artisans who had made possible this raising of a phoenix from the ashes in just five short years.
To return the next morning for the Inaugural Mass and Dedication of the Altar was an 'embarras de richesses', as the French would say, an 'embarrassment of riches'. Everything about it was eloquent. There was a great bronze boom as the Archbishop lowered into the heart of the altar the relics of French saints – Saints Catherine Labouré, Charles de Foucauld, Madeleine Sophie Barat, to name but three – and sealed it. The long, generous anointing of this massive, bare, bronze 'mensa' to exquisite music felt like the anointing of Christ’s very body. Finally the altar was lovingly dressed and adorned for the celebration of an intensely prayed Eucharist.
Standing around the altar with a great number of bishops from France – there were bishops from Ireland and the United States too – I prayed, of course, for my family and for the Church’s 'elder daughter', the Church in France, but also for 'Our Lady’s Dowry', the Church in England and Wales – that we might all grow in our devotion to Christ and his Blessed Mother, Notre Dame.
I was pleased to note the presence of at least three Englishmen in the Cathedral: His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; Sheffield-born Brother Matthew, Prior of Taizé (and whom I sat alongside at the Reopening); and me. Prince William’s presence called to mind the crowning of two British monarchs in that place: Henry VI of England and Mary Queen of Scots. Brother Matthew and I told each other how deeply privileged we felt to be present to represent our country at such an important moment not only for France but for the world. We were thanked time and again by the French bishops for coming to support this historic act.
That we had witnessed an event of worldwide cultural and religious significance was amplified by Archbishop Ulrich’s closing remarks when he chose to say Notre Dame is reborn not just for France, not just for the Church, but for the world. 'Whatever your relationship to Notre Dame,' he said, 'whether you are baptised, or seeking baptism, or not certain what you believe, know that you are welcome – welcome to linger, be still and drink in all that is given here.' I think the numbers who come to Notre Dame in future years will be great indeed – and swell mightily the 10 to 15 million who came there annually already before the fire.
Photos: CBCEW