One of the things that make Donald J. Trump a great leader is his common sense, his ‘everyman’ point of view on issues and events.
Five years ago, when the world stood shocked at the images of the catastrophic fire consuming the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, it warmed our hearts to see Trump every bit as distressed as we were.
He described the incident as ‘a terrible sight to behold’.
Trump mentioned the cathedral’s cultural and historical significance by stating, ‘That’s a part of our growing up, it’s a part of our culture, it’s a part of our lives’.
He also referred to Notre Dame as ‘one of the great treasures of the world’ and likened its importance to that of a major museum.
Now, the President-elect has announced that he will attend this weekend the reopening celebration for the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, in his first foreign trip since the election.
And after the assassination attempts against him, it’s a new, more profound and more religious Trump that will return to the medieval temple.
ABC News reported:
“The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019 that engulfed and nearly destroyed the soaring Paris landmark. The ceremonies being held Saturday and Sunday will be high-security affairs, with about 50 heads of state and government expected to attend.”
“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago. President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
Read: Rejoice! Bells Ring Again at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, in the Run-up to December Reopening
Trump announced that he will attend the celebrations in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening (2).
“The trip will be Trump’s first abroad since he won November’s presidential election. He traveled to Scotland and Ireland in May 2023, as a candidate, to visit his local golf courses.”
In 2019, during his first Presidential term, Trump watched the inferno in horror, along with the rest of the world.
“’So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris’, he wrote on what was then named Twitter, […] Trump also spoke with Macron and Pope Francis at the time to offer his condolences and said he had offered them ‘the help of our great experts on renovation and construction’.”
The reopening of Notre Dame will be an elaborate, multi-day celebration, beginning Saturday.
“Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside at a reopening service that afternoon, banging on Notre Dame’s shuttered doors with his staff to reopen them, according to the cathedral’s website.”
On Sunday morning, the Paris archbishop will lead an inaugural Mass and will consecrate the new altar.
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