Pope Francis sternly ruled out any possibility of visiting France for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral on his return flight on Friday from Southeast Asia.
Speaking during an in-flight press conference on the papal plane on Sept. 13, the pope resolutely stated: “I will not go to Paris!”
French President Emmanuel Macron invited Pope Francis to visit Paris and lead the Mass at the long-awaited reopening of the historic cathedral. It will take place on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
On his return flight from Singapore to Rome on Friday, September 13th, Pope Francis reacted to the invitation to travel to Paris. He said, “I do not wish to attend.”
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“I will not go to Paris, I will not go to Paris,” he said emphatically without explanation.
The invitation also came from the archbishop of Paris.
He hopes to travel to the Canary Islands and possibly Argentina.
They had invited him to attend the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris, five years after the terrible fire that almost destroyed one of the world’s most famous churches.
The decision may come as a surprise, as it is an event of great symbolic significance, extending far beyond the borders of France. Notre Dame remains one of the most visited churches in the world—even more than St Peter’s in Rome.
Authorities have not yet found any evidence that the blaze was not an accident. An initial investigation conducted in the months after the fire concluded that it may have been caused by an electrical malfunction.
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