New Notre Dame bells blessed in Paris

• Tweet

PARIS, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- French Cardinal Andre Armand Vingt-Trois gave his blessing to eight new bells that will be installed at the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The bells will be hoisted to the top of the church's famed twin towers Feb. 25, when they will replace the current bells, which have become out of tune.

The ninth new bell, a so-called Great Bell nicknamed Marie, will have its own blessing ceremony at a later date. The new 10-bell set will chime for the first time March 23, in time for Palm Sunday and Easter.

The bell replacement was a major project aimed at restoring the harmonious sounds that have rung out across Paris for centuries, said Britain's Daily Telegraph.

The oldest surviving bell at Notre Dame dates to the 17th Century and will remain in place with the new set.