For the Pope, the cathedral that once again stands majestically on the banks of the Seine embodies a vital lesson in the face of the dynamics of exclusion and isolation that dominate the current landscape. The collective process that made its reconstruction possible, sustained by the generosity of millions of anonymous donors, artisans, experts, and faithful from diverse corners of the globe, demonstrates a transcendent truth: when a community unites around a common purpose driven by beauty and faith, it is capable of overcoming adversity and rising even from the most desolate ruins.

In his message, Leo XIV emphasized that the restored walls of Notre-Dame powerfully remind us that both the Church and society itself are called to be spaces with open doors. The beauty of the reborn stones invites us to look beyond our own sense of security, transforming the temple into a true home where no one is considered a stranger and where everyone finds a legitimate place to participate actively. This convergence of effort and meaning—a genuine reconstruction of stone and soul—stands as a shining beacon of hope, reminding us that the deepest wounds of human history can be healed through shared work, living memory, and a radical commitment to hospitality toward our neighbor.

Full text from the Holy Father:

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS TO FRANCE AND VISIT TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION (UNESCO) FROM 25 TO 28 SEPTEMBER 2026

CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, DEACONS, CONSECRATED MEN AND WOMEN AND SEMINARIANS HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV

Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, Friday, September 25, 2026 

Dear brothers and sisters, evening prayer has brought us together in the place that, for centuries, more than any other, has invited Paris to raise its gaze to heaven. Seven years have passed since the whole world, holding its breath, watched the cathedral engulfed in a horrific fire. Then, too, we raised our eyes, bewildered, acknowledging our human inadequacy in the face of the immeasurable. That pain was not only that of Catholics, nor only of believers. We realized, in that dramatic hour, that Notre-Dame is more than a monument. The collective participation in the reconstruction and now the splendor of the result reveal that here beats the heart of a people, that we stand at the vital center of a civilization, that past and future embrace, that heaven and earth meet.

I have longed to meet you in this place, a symbol of the Church in France. It was a joy for me to cross its threshold recently, as it is every day for thousands of brothers and sisters who come here from all over the world. The simple act of entering places us before a beauty that speaks to our restless hearts and calls us to peace. By returning this space to all humanity, it has been rightly understood how each visitor can be renewed by what they see, hear, and experience. The institutions—public, ecclesial, and private—involved in the restoration of Notre-Dame, with their specific contributions, have thus helped to reactivate the cultural, existential, and spiritual paths that the cathedral opens. In this context, the Church has interpreted its own task not only in terms of conservation but also of creativity, bringing tradition to life with the boldness of those who have faith and are oriented toward hope. For this, I wish to thank the Archbishop, his collaborators, and the Diocesan Community of Paris, who have also envisioned a pastoral itinerary of initial proclamation and Christian initiation accessible to all. A sign of this is the baptismal font, which is located at the entrance as a blessing and invitation.

The reconstruction of the cathedral has provided an opportunity for encounter that has broadened the scope of welcome and participation beyond the confines of ecclesial affiliation. Dear bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, and seminarians of France: let yourselves be inspired by what has happened here! Above all else, place Evangelii Gaudium before you—that is, the missionary conversion to which Pope Francis has exemplified since his first apostolic exhortation.

From the Letter to the Galatians we have heard the reason why we should not be afraid: “God sent his Son” (Gal 4:4). He sent him among us, into this world of ours! In Paul’s text, the verb describes a real, historical event, not ideal circumstances. Christians do not shy away from complexity, because God himself has called them to follow his Son in a world already inhabited, already in motion, already marked by the miseries and the goodness of human beings. The way of the cross certainly reveals the darkness that pervades the world, but more radically it reveals the love of God victorious over death.

The cathedral’s cruciform plan, where stone and light merge, evokes the meeting of earth and sky. It gathers and orders the events of history, interwoven with human joys and sufferings. It holds them together in a symbolic dynamic that, from diverse expressions, creates a living language, composing them into a unified whole.

Dear friends, the identity of the Church, called to always be “going forth,” stems from the Incarnation—”God sent his Son.” As disciples of Christ, you know well that the Christian community is not constituted as an enclave to which it retreats to defend itself from its own time. On the contrary, like the ancient cathedrals, it offers itself as a space of welcome, respect, revelation, and meaning for all. Herein lies the strength of a living Church: welcoming the periphery that is already in its heart, the distant one who is in reality already near, the stranger in whom Christ is already knocking at the door.

If Notre-Dame is the sign of this encounter in the heart of Paris, then all the more so the other cities and regions of France, even the most peripheral and rural, will be transformed by a simple and benevolent missionary presence, one that also helps to bridge cultural differences and heal the wounds present in our societies. From the northern coasts to the Mediterranean, from the interior to the overseas departments, be a living, multifaceted, and approachable Church. Limited resources do not hinder the mission, for it is the grace of God that facilitates inner freedom and a simple life, thus reflecting an evangelical lifestyle. In all of this, value with confidence the missionary presence of the lay faithful, who are the living outpost of the Church at the crossroads of the everyday world.

Furthermore, brothers and sisters, we must not forget that the purpose for which this temple, like any other church, was built is prayer and praise to God. It is the place where the Christian community celebrates the highest form of prayer and praise, renewing in the Eucharist the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. The cathedral is not a stone shell to be admired: it lives in the sacred mystery celebrated within it. Devoid of liturgical action, it would lose its soul. Here, in Notre-Dame, this truth is emphasized by placing the altar at the center of the space: the community that praises the Lord is thus at the heart of the building, and visitors, even during celebrations, walk around it and observe it. The Church appears there for what it is: a living organism, a believing community that gathers in praise all that culture and Tradition offer, a body that, precisely in celebrating, reveals to everyone the reason for its existence.

Today more than ever, we grapple with a time that seems lacking in fullness, depth, and promise. The noble simplicity of song, word, and liturgical gestures can represent for many a profound respite, an oasis of peace in a hyperconnected and noisy society, where one can experience the presence of the Author of the greatest love: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son” (Gal 4:4). The celebration of the liturgical year, of Sundays and feasts, also makes us contemporaries of Christ, attentive to the different moments of his life, wholly given to the Father for the world. Thus, we also become more sensitive and open to the signs of the times. Communal listening to the Scriptures and prayer enable us, in effect, to see historical events in God’s light, making us more aware of our responsibilities, to unmask unjust power relations, and to safeguard the seeds of justice and peace. It is hope, then, that moves us, not resignation. And it is from there that bonds of greater fraternity and networks of solidarity arise, the fruit of communion in the one sacrifice of Christ.

To you who celebrate the Eucharist daily, I ask that you ensure that liturgical celebrations are always lived with dignity and decorum, even where smaller communities gather. Be conscious heirs of the Fathers and Saints of the Church who throughout the centuries have transmitted to us the profound meaning and beauty of the liturgy, always bearing witness to great humility before the mystery being celebrated. The Second Vatican Council, whose richness owes much to France, has gathered and deepened this heritage in an eminent way, recognizing its centrality in the life of the Church (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium , 10). I therefore exhort all of you—bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons—to cultivate a genuine love for the liturgy and to be witnesses and servants of the prophetic, priestly, and royal vocation of all the People of God.

The liturgy continues to be a mirror of life in this respect. Eucharistic joy is affirmed and spreads where harmony is restored, where dignity is reborn, where authority becomes service, where freedom is once again set on its path. It is the greatest gift we can share. Therefore, place communion with the successor of Peter and with the Church above your personal sensitivities, so as to cultivate the unity of the people of God. Together we will be the prophecy that a reconciled world is possible.

Dear bishops, priests, seminarians, and consecrated persons, who have been called to follow Christ: I thank you for your response and fidelity to the Lord. Never neglect that friendship so dear to the Lord, which must be cultivated in personal prayer, the essential foundation of every vocation. As Madeleine Delbrêl said: “Without prayer, we would not love the God of love. We could 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 , vol. XV of the Œuvres complètes , Nouvelle Cité, 2017, p. 41). Therefore, safeguard your interior life with the Lord in the school of the many saints who have gone before you, always returning to the source of God’s infinite love in silent prayer. Your mission begins above all with this intimate relationship with the Lord, who awaits you there.

In the heart of the city, the open cathedral is the sign of a community that praises the Lord and lives hospitality not as an occasional gesture, but as the very essence of its existence, so that all may feel at home, no longer oppressed or marginalized in a changing world. “God sent his Son, born of a woman, […] so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5). And “if you are a son, then you are also an heir” (Gal 4:7). Heirs by grace, brothers and sisters gathered here, it now falls to each of you, to this prayerful and living assembly, to become the flesh and voice of this promise. You, pastors and consecrated men and women of France, are called to be the first custodians of this open house, living stones of a Church that hopes and does not fear the future. This cathedral has been reborn so that you may be reborn with it in a surge of holiness and daily mission. Be, in the midst of your people, the clear expression of the divine motherhood of the Church which, by bearing witness to the love of God, restores and heals the human family.

Let us raise our eyes to the 14th-century statue of the Virgin and Child, which the fire could not touch and which shines anew before us today. Mary, who held the Word in her womb, guard your faithfulness and 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 always walk beside us.