Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to Reopen with Attendance of Trump and Biden's Wife

Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, and Jill Biden, the wife of current U.S. President Joe Biden, are among the prominent global figures expected to attend the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in France on Saturday, December 8, five years after the fire. Trump's trip to Paris will be his first foreign visit following his victory in last month's election. Joe Biden is not expected to attend the ceremony in Paris. Trump announced his attendance at the opening ceremony, stating, "President Emmanuel Macron has done an incredible job and ensured that Notre Dame returns to its full glory, and even more. This will be a very special day for everyone!" Over the past five years, 2,000 craftsmen and workers have been employed, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on restoring this medieval Gothic masterpiece. Notre Dame was nearly destroyed in April 2019 due to a fire. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, visited the restored cathedral last week. He will be present at the official opening ceremony alongside the Archbishop of Paris, well-known Catholic figures, and other officials. The cathedral will open its doors to the public on Sunday, December 9. Even while under restoration and covered in scaffolding, Notre Dame attracted a multitude of tourists during these years. This event will provide a significant pause for France, which is facing strikes ahead of Christmas, severe debts, and an uncertain political future. Five years later, the cause of the fire remains unclear. Investigators say the fire was likely accidental and not due to malicious intent. The Paris prosecutor stated a few months ago, "All options, including the hypothesis of human involvement in causing this fire, have been considered since the beginning of the investigation. However, as the search gets closer to how the fire started and as more investigation results come to light, the theory of accident gains more weight." At the beginning of the investigation, prosecutors said the fire could have been caused by an electrical short circuit, a cigarette improperly discarded, or another issue related to the renovation work being done, but after more than five years, nothing has been proven. The presence of carpenters using traditional methods to repair Notre Dame in Paris is noted, as well as the challenging restoration work, including the removal of 200 tons of melted metal. Artists performed at home on the anniversary of the Notre Dame fire. President Trump stated that America stands with France in the fight against extremism. The first prayer ceremony at Notre Dame after the devastating fire was held with safety helmets.