Dear brothers and sisters,
We are gathered for Evening Prayer in this place which, more than any other, has invited the people of Paris for centuries to lift their eyes towards heaven. Seven years have passed since the whole world, holding its breath, watched as the cathedral was engulfed in a terrible fire. At that time, we also watched anxiously, conscious of how powerless humans are in the face of the unforeseen. That pain was felt not only by Catholics, nor only by believers. Indeed, in that tragic moment we came to realize that Notre-Dame is more than a monument. The collective effort to rebuild it, and the splendour of the result reveal that the heart of a people beats here, and that here we stand at the living center of a civilization, where past and future embrace, where heaven and earth meet.
It was my wish to meet you here, in this symbolic place of the Church in France. It is a joy for me to have crossed its threshold a short while ago, as thousands of brothers and sisters do each day, coming here from every corner of the world. Simply entering this place brings us face to face with a beauty that speaks to our restless hearts and calls them to peace. Following the restoration of this sacred space for all humanity, it is rightly recognized how each visitor can be renewed by what he or she sees, hears and experiences. The public, private and ecclesial institutions involved in the restoration of Notre-Dame have each contributed, in their own way, to reawakening the cultural, existential and spiritual journeys that the cathedral opens up before us. In this context, the Church has understood her mission not only in terms of preservation but also of creativity, by keeping tradition alive with the boldness of those who have faith and are guided by hope. I wish to thank the Archbishop, his co-workers and the diocesan community of Paris, who have also developed a pastoral pathway of initial proclamation and Christian initiation open to all. The baptismal font is a sign of this, situated at the entrance as a blessing and an invitation.
The rebuilding of the Cathedral was an opportunity for an encounter that has expanded horizons of welcome and participation beyond the boundaries of ecclesial affiliation. Dear bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians of France, let yourselves be inspired by what has happened here! Make the vision of Evangelii Gaudium your priority, namely the missionary conversion which Pope Francis spoke of in his first Apostolic Exhortation.
In the Letter to the Galatians, we heard the reason why we should not be afraid: “God sent forth his Son” (Gal 4:4). He sent him among us, into our world. In Saint Paul’s words, the verb describes a real, historical event, not some ideal set of circumstances. Christians do not flee from complexity, for God himself has called them to follow his Son in a world that is already inhabited, already in motion, already marked by both human misery and goodness. The way of the Cross certainly reveals the darkness that runs through our world, but even more profoundly, it reveals the love of God that triumphs over death.
The Cathedral’s cruciform layout, where stone and light come together, evokes the meeting of earth and heaven. It gathers and orders the events of history, woven with human joys and sufferings. It holds them together in a symbolic dynamic that transforms these diverse expressions into a living language, uniting them into a whole.
Dear friends, it is from the Incarnation — “God sent forth his Son” — that the identity of the Church flows, for she is called always to be a Church “going forth”. As disciples of Christ, you know well that the Christian community is not a refuge into which we withdraw in order to protect ourselves from our age. On the contrary, like the cathedrals of old, the Church is a place of welcome, respect, revelation and meaning for everyone. The strength of a living Church lies in welcoming those on the peripheries who already have a place in her heart; welcoming those who are far away but in reality are already near; welcoming the stranger, in whom Christ is already knocking at the door.
If Notre-Dame is a sign of this encounter at the heart of Paris, then the other cities and regions of France, even the most remote and rural, can be transformed all the more by a simple and welcoming missionary presence. Such a presence can help to bring cultural differences into harmony and to heal the wounds present in our societies. From the northern coasts to the Mediterranean, from the inland regions to the overseas departments, be a living, diverse and close Church. A lack of material resources does not prevent mission, for it is the grace of God that gives rise to interior freedom and simplicity of life, enabling us to reflect an evangelical way of life. In all this, confidently value the missionary presence of the lay faithful, who are the living front line of the Church at the crossroads of everyday life.
At the same time, brothers and sisters, we must not forget that this Cathedral, like every other church, was built for the purpose of prayer and the worship of God. It is the place where the Christian community celebrates the highest form of prayer and worship, renewing in the Eucharist the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. This Cathedral is not merely a stone structure to be admired; instead, it lives by the sacred mystery celebrated within it. Without the liturgy, it would lose its soul. Here at Notre-Dame, this truth is made evident by the placement of the altar at its center. The community gathered to praise the Lord thus stands at the heart of the building, while visitors, even during celebrations, walk around it and observe it. Here the Church appears for what she is, namely a living organism, a believing community that gathers into its praise everything that culture and tradition have handed down to her. She is a body which, through her celebration, tells each person the reason for her existence.
Today, more than ever, we live in an age that seems deprived of fullness, depth and promise. The noble simplicity of song, spoken word and liturgical gesture can be for many a glimmer of hope, an oasis of peace in a hyper-connected and noisy society, where we can experience the presence of the Author of the greatest love: “When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son” (Gal 4:4). The celebration of the liturgical year, of Sundays and feasts, also makes us companions of Christ, attentive to the different moments of his life, which he gave entirely to the Father for the sake of the world. In this way, we become more sensitive and more open to the signs of the times. Indeed, our prayer and listening together to the Scriptures enable us to see the events of history in the light of God, making us more aware of our responsibilities, allowing us to unmask unjust relations of power and sow the seeds of justice and peace. It is hope that drives us therefore, not resignation. And from this arise bonds of greater fraternity and networks of solidarity, the fruit of communion in the one Sacrifice of Christ.
To you who celebrate the Eucharist each day, I ask you to ensure that the liturgical celebrations are always carried out with dignity and reverence, even where smaller communities gather. Be conscious heirs of the Church Fathers and saints who, over the centuries, have handed down to us the profound meaning and beauty of the liturgy, always giving an example of great humility before the Mystery that is celebrated. The Second Vatican Council, whose richness owes much to France, gathered up and deepened this heritage in an eminent way, recognizing the liturgy’s central role in the life of the Church (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10). I therefore exhort all of you, bishops, priests, deacons and consecrated persons, to cultivate an authentic love for the liturgy and to be witnesses and servants of the prophetic, priestly and kingly vocation of the entire People of God.
In this respect, the liturgy remains a reflection of life. Eucharistic joy takes root and spreads wherever harmony is restored, wherever dignity is renewed, wherever authority becomes service, and wherever freedom is able to flourish again. This is the greatest gift we can share. Therefore, place communion with the successor of Peter and with the Church before your personal preferences, so as to foster the unity of God’s people. Thus, together, we will bear prophetic witness to the possibility of a reconciled world.
Dear bishops, priests, seminarians and consecrated persons, you who have been called to follow Christ, I thank you for your response and your fidelity to the Lord. Never neglect this friendship desired by the Lord, which must be cultivated in personal prayer, and is the foundation of every vocation. As Madeleine Delbrêl said: “Without prayer, we would not love the God of love. We might perhaps be his servants, his warriors, or even his disciples; but we would be neither the loving children of our Father nor the friends… of Jesus Christ” (Notre vie, Œuvres complètes vol. XV, Nouvelle Cité, 2017, p. 41). Nurture, then, your interior life with the Lord, following the example of the many saints who have gone before you, always drawing from the source of God’s infinite love in silent prayer. Your mission flows above all from this intimate relationship with the Lord, who awaits you there.
At the heart of the city, the open Cathedral is a sign of a community that praises the Lord and lives hospitality not as an occasional gesture, but as the very form of its existence, so that all may feel at home, no longer dominated or marginalized in a changing world. “God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, […] so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5). And “if a son, then you are also an heir” (ibid 4:7). Heirs by grace, brothers and sisters gathered here, it is now up to each of you, this praying and living assembly, to become the flesh and voice of this promise. Clergy and consecrated persons of France, you are called to be the first guardians of this open house, the living stones of a Church that hopes and does not fear the future. This Cathedral has been reborn so that you too may be reborn with it in a new impetus towards holiness and daily mission. In the midst of your people, be a clear expression of the divine motherhood of the Church, who, by bearing witness to God’s love, restores and heals the human family.
Let us lift our eyes towards the fourteenth-century statue of the Virgin and Child, which was untouched by the fire and now shines once again before us. May Mary, who carried the Word in her womb, keep you faithful, and may she be the star that guides the mission of the Church in France. Holy Mary, Our Lady of Paris and Mother of the Church, pray for the French people, sustain their pastors, and walk always at our side.
