Pope Leo XIV prays the Salve Regina before Notre-Dame's silver Virgin

Thousands of faithful gathered outside Notre-Dame Cathedral to pray the Salve Regina with Pope Leo XIV, in a moment that marked the return of public prayer to the Paris cathedral. Before them stood a silver statue of Our Lady and the Child Jesus that has been part of the life of Paris for generations. The pope paused before it in silence, visibly moved.

The statue that survived the fire

The image venerated that night was commissioned in the early 19th century and is the work of the French silversmith Charles-Nicolas Odiot. It came close to being lost more than once. During the riots of 1831 it was thrown from the archbishop's palace, and it survived the violence that shook Paris in those years. It was later almost melted down, but was preserved.

The statue was solemnly crowned for the Assumption procession at Notre-Dame in 1929 and became part of the cathedral's liturgical life. For nearly a century it was carried in the cathedral's processions, until the 2019 fire threatened to destroy everything the cathedral held.

The pope before the image

On the night of the Salve Regina, the pope appeared visibly moved. He stopped and prayed at length before the image.

The statue has come through centuries of political and religious upheaval: thrown from the archbishop's palace in 1831, nearly melted down, and a survivor of the 2019 fire.

Mary, Patroness of France

That night, before thousands of faithful gathered in prayer, Odiot's statue shone again as a sign of "Mary's enduring presence over Paris" as Patroness of France. Those present took the statue's survival of the 2019 fire as a witness to divine protection and to Mary's constant intercession for the French people.

The restoration of Notre-Dame gave the city back its cathedral and the visible presence of the Virgin whom the Church regards as guardian and mother of the French nation.