The iconic bells of Notre Dame Cathedral tolled once more on the evening of December 7, marking the resumption of religious services for the first time since a devastating fire in 2019 severely damaged the historic Parisian landmark.
The solemn ceremony, led by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, began with a symbolic gesture: the archbishop struck the cathedral’s door three times with his staff, or crozier, which was crafted from one of the charred beams salvaged from the cathedral’s roof.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who pledged to restore the cathedral within five years after the fire, attended the event alongside a host of international dignitaries. Among those present were US President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the UK’s Prince William.
