The pope praised the cathedral's 'splendor' since its restoration after the 2019 fire, becoming the first pope to visit since it reopened in 2024.
The first pope to visit the cathedral since its reopening in late 2024, Leo XIV praised the "splendor" of the restored building and the "excellence" of French craftsmanship.
Paris is making final preparations for the pope's first official visit to the French capital in 18 years, with a four-day itinerary spanning Notre-Dame, UNESCO and a mass expected to draw up to a million people.
French culture ministry officials have hailed the discovery of a roughly 20-metre wall dating to the Gallo-Roman period, found beneath a building near Notre Dame Cathedral, as a major archaeological breakthrough.