Pope Francis says won't go to Paris for Notre-Dame reopening

Pope Francis said Friday that he would not attend the reopening of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris in December, denying reports announcing his arrival.

Asked by a French journalist aboard the papal plane returning him to Rome after his long tour of the Asia-Pacific, Francis replied: "I will not go to Paris. I will not go to Paris," without giving further explanation.

Last December, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had invited the pope to the reopening of the cathedral that was ravaged by a massive fire on April 15, 2019.

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Francis's statement comes a few days after various media reports suggested that the head of the Catholic Church would attend the first mass in the restored cathedral, set for December 8.

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