Gavin Grey: UK correspondent on Notre Dame holding its first mass since reopening

Notre Dame Cathedral hosted its first mass over the weekend since the devastating fire of 2019.

The event was attended by  2,500 people, including French President Emmanuel Macron - as well as dignitaries, clergy and a few lucky members of the general public. 

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says 170 bishops from around the world, were also in attendance.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're going to our UK correspondent Devin Gray, who's standing
by Gavin. Good evening, Good evening to you, Rah, good
morning to you. I should say, the UK Chancellor is
off to talk with the European leaders. Why has this
got some feeling about gittery.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Because it is the first meeting between Chancellor of the
UK in this case Rachel Reeves and the European counterparts.
And the reason it's got people jittery here is that
is the first meeting that's been organized talking of breaking
down barriers to trade in closer, a resetting of relationships,
closer relationships, and it's the first meeting since Brexit. So

(00:37):
many Brexiteers believe that this may be a sort of
soft way of trying to pave the way to closer
links to the EU and a potential unraveling of Brexit.
Now there'll be some that think, well, good, you know,
that's what we need. But this is going to be
extremely difficult for this government to try and sort of
tack a path, a middle ground path. It has repeatedly

(01:01):
said that it does not want to rejoin the Bloc.
But this government has since it got elected in July
repeatedly says it does want to deepen ties with the EU. Well,
that's good. Everyone of course will be happy if there's
better trade. The problem is twofold. The first, really, I
think is that it looks like Donald Trump is going

(01:21):
to want to sort of either you choose the US
or you choose the EU kind of decision from the UK.
We'll wait to see that that is likely or unlikely,
but many people believe he's going to be much much
better for the UK if we decide to sort of
lean towards him more in the Americas rather than European Union.

(01:42):
But another big problem, of course is that the European
Union may want something back in return if we decide
that we want things from them, And of course the
big question is what would the UK give up for that.
So Reggieve's talking to those leaders a little later on today.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Interesting and the Notre Dame Cathedral has held it first
mess since it reopened.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, and a really really big ceremony as you could imagine,
that was for the VIPs, but its first mass in
those five years is a massive, massive mark. And it
was one of those occasions when France sort of went
all out on a big push, as you could imagine,
and there were bishops from around the world, one hundred

(02:23):
and seventy bishops plus one priest from each of the
Paris is of the Paris Diocese. The work that's gone
on for five years, costing what's said to be getting
on for about one point eight billion New Zealand dollars,
which has mostly come from donations around the world, involved
some two thousand masons and carpenters, a restorers, roofers, sculptors,

(02:44):
engineers on this project since that awful fire which saw
it virtually gutted as a building. And of course the
French President Emmanuel Macron in the mass as well part
of the liturgy, and he was no doubt hoping that
this would, you know, be some positive news for him
after a fortnight of political turmoil with the resignation of

(03:06):
his prime minister and complete instability and chaos at the
heart of government in France. At the moment, all eyes
were on the guest list for the VIP opening, which
had a which went ahead prior to that first mass.
Donald Trump from America there and interesting choice. France, I
think desperate to get better relations as well with the US,

(03:26):
of course, but Donald Trump meeting Prince William for the
first time, or rather bath for another time, rather but
meeting him at that event and then telling everyone else
in the crowd what a good man he was. It's
an underwo unusual way of soft diplomacy here, right.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
What happened when a fifteen year old Australian flew to
the UK just to see a local derby between Liverpool
and Eberton.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Oh great story this so the Mackenzie kinsella fifteen years
old and from Sydney, a huge fan of Everton football
team up in the northwest of England. His parents said no,
we can't afford you to go, it's too expensive. So
he started to save, save, save money like mad and
wanted to come and watch Everton play their final match

(04:09):
at their historic Goodison Park home stadium before they move.
And it's the last derby. That's the local match between
Liverpool and Everton that he wanted to come and see. Well.
Sadly he coincided his visit and that derby coincided with
a huge storm sweeping through the UK and most unusually,

(04:29):
that football match was called off and postponed because of
the storm and the strong winds. Naturally, he couldn't believe
it had come all the way here spend all his
money anyway. As he said himself, every cloud has a
silver lining. The captain of the Everton team saw his
plight in the media and on social media, and he's

(04:49):
been invited to meet the team personally today and see
them at their training ground and well, as you can imagine,
as he said, every cloud, how's a silver app.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
Soon he sounds like a Vivan. Thank you very much
for that. Rep Gavin Gray, our UK correspondent.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
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