Macron received a slap in the face from the Vatican

French President Macron has faced a series of setbacks, none more glaring than the burning of the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral during his presidency  an event that shocked the world. Now, the reopening of the cathedral after its restoration risks turning into yet another controversy.

Recently, Pope Francis, while answering questions from journalists aboard his flight from Singapore (where he had just concluded an apostolic trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania), stated that he would not attend the reopening of Notre Dame. In a press conference, the video of which was published on the RAINEWS website, the Pontiff simply said, "I'm not going to Paris," without explaining the reasons for his decision.

According to Le Figaro, the reason for the Pope’s decision is that he does not want to be part of what he sees as a "politicized" event. The Vatican believes that the opening ceremony of the Paris Cathedral will be turned into "an international political act for the glory of France." French media reports claim that Pope Francis, whom Macron had hoped to see among the 3,000 invited guests, will instead "prioritize the people who need him more."

While the Pope did not explicitly explain his reasoning, it doesn’t take a sophisticated analyst to guess the cause. In fact, most people believe that the Pope's decision is connected to the desecration of Christian values that took place during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics this summer.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in her comments to journalists, noted that "an important event scheduled for December 7-8 on the eve of the Catholic celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary will, as Macron dreamed, be devoid of sacred meaning." She also suggested, "I do not exclude that the reason for Francis's decision not to attend the opening of the cathedral was the publicized plans of Emmanuel Macron's wife, Brigitte," Zakharova said, as quoted by TASS.

It is worth recalling that the Holy See condemned the mockery of the "Last Supper" plot at the Paris Olympics as an insult to believers. The Vatican could not "remain silent and not join the voices of regret for the offense inflicted on many Christians and adherents of other religions."

The Pope's refusal to attend the reopening of the iconic cathedral has caused a stir in Paris. To justify himself to the faithful, the Elysee Palace claimed that the Pope would not come because he has scheduled the ordination of Catholic prelates on December 8. However, it was also noted that Pope Francis, having refused to travel to France, had not canceled his visit to Corsica.

In reality, the French government should not take offense at the head of the Catholic Church. When the controversial actions of the Paris Olympics were conceived, which turned what should have been a significant event into a farce, Macron should have anticipated the backlash. The performance offended not only Christians but believers of all faiths. Most people around the world did not share Macron’s twisted ideas about what is acceptable and what is not. Macron himself boasted, saying, "The French are proud of the Olympic opening ceremony. We are very proud of it. I think France has shown its true face."

We will not dispute that France, under Macron, has indeed begun to show some strange things. But what was displayed at the Olympics was not the face of France; it was the face of Emmanuel Macron. And the world saw it.

The head of the Vatican, of course, could not ignore such an outburst from Paris, and now it seems he is punishing Macron for the insults inflicted on the Church. Notre Dame Cathedral is a historic symbol of France, made famous by Victor Hugo. Therefore, when a devastating fire engulfed the cathedral in April 2019, partially destroying it, the event became global news.

The restoration lasted five years, and the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris is now scheduled for December 8 this year. The fact that Pope Francis will not attend the ceremony is a slap in the face to Macron a serious blow to his authority. However, the authority of the current French president, both at home and abroad, has already been severely diminished, as they say, "gone with the wind."