Catholic bishops encouraged churches across the US to ring their bells in solidarity with Notre-Dame reopening

As a show of unity, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops encouraged churches across the nation to peal their bells at 2 p.m. as Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens in Paris after it was closed for five years to a devastating fire.

“Please join us in celebrating the reopening of this iconic cathedral that holds a special place in the hearts of all believers and people of goodwill worldwide,” the USCCB said on X on Nov. 29.

In a series of posts, the nonprofit, based in Washington, D.C., which consists of active and retired bishops in the U.S., spoke about the importance of the moment of solidarity between France and the U.S.

“This gesture of uniting our local Churches with the cathedral of Paris would be one more sign of our union to the eldest daughter of the Church whose forefathers contributed so much to the U.S. struggle for independence,” USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio stated in another post.

“The doors of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris have been closed since the devastating fire in 2019. As they re-open their doors, local churches in the U.S. are invited to peal their bells in a gesture of unity,” the organization added in another.

There was speculation Pope Francis would attend the ceremony, but he publicly declined Macron’s invitation to attend during a September press conference.

“I will not go to Paris!” he said at the time.