Pope Francis declined the president's invitation France Emmanuel Macron i he doesn't intend to take part in the reopening of the Norte-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which is scheduled to take place in early December.
As the French television BFM TV points out, Francis' decision caused even greater surprise because a week later – on December 15 – the pope plans to visit Ajaccio, Corsica.
Paris. The Pope will not attend the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral. “Attachment to the periphery”
Explaining this choice, several French bishops emphasized Francis' attachment to the periphery and recalled his busy schedule with planned events in Rome. According to the clergy, there is another important reason.
– The star of the reopening of Notre-Dame is Notre-Dame and Francis did not want to take the eyes of the faithful away from it (the cathedral – ed.), said Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the French Bishops' Conference, quoted by AFP.
The Pope's visit to Corsica. The island faces a great challenge
The French daily “Le Monde”, commenting on the official announcement of Pope Francis' trip to Corsica on Saturday, emphasized that it was a historic visit and at the same time organizational and financial challenge for the diocese of Ajaccio. The cost of the visit is estimated at 2 mln euros.
The central place of the visit will be the Austerlitz square in Ajaccio (also called Casone), which can accommodate 8,000 worshippers. The Pope will celebrate mass there. He is expected to arrive in Ajaccio on December 15 to meet Francis 100 thousand people.
– Corsica is a land of great believers, people will come from all villages – Alexandre Farina from the mayor's office of Ajaccio told “Le Monde”. It is planned to create two places analogous to sports “fan zones”, where huge screens will be installed.
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