According to the publication, Macron invited 160 heads of state and government to the ceremony.
Initially, the head of the Paris archdiocese, Laurent Ulrich, was against Macron giving a speech inside the cathedral, and he was asked to deliver it on the porch, but the cost of the ceremony for 1,500 guests, including drinks and snacks, turned out to be too high, the magazine said.
The initially planned budget of 20 million euros had to be cut in half. The church has pledged to pay for the ceremony and has announced a collection of donations from wealthy French citizens, it said.
However, the donation campaign among patrons has yielded only 2-3 million euros, and the church also cannot use the funds collected for the renovation of the cathedral (846 million euros). The cost of the ceremony will fall on the parish flock, while the state will pay for the work of the police to protect the event, the magazine reported.
Earlier, French media reported that Macron would give a speech inside Notre Dame Cathedral on December 7 in honor of its opening. This caused sharp criticism from the French public, who noted that no politician had spoken in this church before the current head of state. Memes appeared on social networks with Macron in a Catholic priest's robes, speaking inside the cathedral. Many called the planned speech "scandalous" and pointed out that "organizing political meetings" in places of religious worship is prohibited by Article 35 of the 1905 French law "on the separation of power and the church."
The largest fire in history at Notre Dame Cathedral occurred on April 15, 2019. The spire of the cathedral collapsed, engulfing the supporting structure in flames. The fire destroyed the unique wooden roof frame made of 800-year-old oak beams, each of which was made from a single tree trunk.
The cathedral will open to visitors on December 8.