Papal Visit to Notre Dame
Pope Leo leads historic first prayers at Notre Dame following its major cathedral restoration.
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Pope Leo XIV led prayers and celebrated vespers at Notre Dame Cathedral on Sept. 25, the first papal visit since the landmark was devastated by fire in 2019 and reopened in 2024. He urged French Catholics to become “living stones” of a welcoming, missionary Church, saying the cathedral’s restoration offered a model of renewal and healing. The visit was part of Leo’s four-day journey through France, which also includes stops in Lourdes and Metz and comes as the Church seeks to rebuild its standing after abuse scandals. The Vatican reportedly declined President Emmanuel Macron’s request for a private tour beforehand, aiming to keep the cathedral event pastoral rather than a state occasion.
Key Points
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The Holy See Press Office estimated that about 300,000 people greeted Pope Leo as his popemobile traveled through Paris to Notre Dame.
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Before leading vespers, Leo knelt in prayer before the tabernacle and kissed the relic of Christ’s crown of thorns kept in a chapel at Notre Dame.
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About 2,500 people attended inside the cathedral, while roughly 5,000 more watched on outdoor screens.
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Notre Dame is owned by the French government and operated by the Catholic Church; its rebuilding drew public, private and church funding. Some Catholics criticized the 2024 reopening ceremony as a government public-relations event.
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Leo urged French church leaders to make the missionary conversion emphasized in Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium a priority, connecting Notre Dame’s rebuilding with broader welcome and participation beyond formal church membership.
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