Pope Francis opens the Holy Door: Jubilee Year 2025 begins!

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door: Jubilee Year 2025 begins!

On Christmas Eve 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica, which had been closed for several years, in a moving ceremony, marking the official beginning of the Catholic Church's Holy Year. The ceremony, marked by the 88-year-old pope's health limitations, showed Francis knocking on the massive bronze door in a wheelchair. Helpers opened the door from the inside after the pope paused for a moment in silent prayer. He was then driven over the threshold into St. Peter's Basilica, which is a significant event for many believers. This solemn act is part of the traditions associated with the Holy Year, also known as the Jubilee Year, which takes place approximately every 25 years Radio Euskirchen reported.

Tradition and meaning of the jubilee year

The Holy Year, which will now last until January 6, 2026, offers believers the opportunity to obtain a remission of their sins through prayer and penance. The practices associated with this period include the pilgrimage to Rome and the crossing of the Holy Gates, which are of great spiritual importance for the Catholic Church. The Pope is dependent on a wheelchair due to a serious knee problem, which underlines the ceremony with a special focus on his determination and the deep faith of the church leader. Such symbolic rituals strengthen the connection between the faith community and the church the daily mirror noted.