The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris once again shows on its roof, since May 24, the great cross of the apse, the twelve-meter-high structure that withstood the fire of April 15, 2019.
The cross in the apse, which weighs 1.5 tons and dates from the 19th century, was the only element of the choir ceiling that withstood the fire. The spire, which was another of the symbols of the cathedral, was destroyed by the flames and had to be rebuilt to be installed last February.
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In the case of the cross, blacksmiths from the Normandy region participated in its meticulous restoration.
As reported from the Instagram account of the Notre Dame Cathedral, the cross was blessed by Mons. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, rector archpriest of the temple. Then it was raised with a crane “until it found its place at the top of the apse.”
At the time of blessing it, the rector archpriest asked God to grant all people who contemplate “this sign of salvation” to find “the strength to carry their cross every day and walk along the paths of the Gospel.”
Also present at the ceremony were Philippe Jost, engineer and president of Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paristhe organization in charge of rebuilding the cathedral, and Philippe Villeneuve, chief architect of the historic monuments.
Yesterday, Sunday, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, assured that the Notre Dame Cathedral will reopen its doors on December 8, 2024.
Eduardo Berdejo
Professional in Social Communication from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru, I have more than 20 years of experience in Catholic digital journalism. As part of ACI Prensa I have been sent to cover Pope Francis’ trips to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, in addition to the Synodality Synod in the Vatican in 2023.