Saint gate of the Lateran Basilica ceremoniously opened: a moment of hope!

Saint gate of the Lateran Basilica ceremoniously opened: a moment of hope!

Lateranbasilika, Rom, Italien - On December 29, 2024, the opening of the Holy Pforte at the Lateran Basilica in Rome took place, but Pope Francis left this ceremony Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the arch priest of this important church. This happened during a festive service that was visited by around 2,000 believers. This holy gate, a bronze covered portal, is open for the Holy Year 2025, which is under the motto "pilgrim of hope". Pope Francis had previously opened the Holy Pforte in St. Peter's Basilica on December 24, which marked the beginning of the Holy Year, such as vaticannews reported .

special ceremony and tradition

The opening of the gate was accompanied by prayers and bell ringing, which underlined the festive atmosphere. This holy gate is not only an important religious symbol, but also a central component of the Catholic tradition, which offers the believers the opportunity to reduce time penalties by crossing the gate, provided that they previously confessed and took part in the fair. Interestingly, for the New Year's Day, the gate in the Santa Maria Maggiore church is opened by Arch priest Rolandas Makrickas, a new cardinal, and on January 5th Cardinal James Michael Harvey will do the same for the Sankt Paul church, as kathpress reported .

The Holy Year, which includes a number of church and cultural events, will end on January 6, 2026 with the closure of the Holy Pforte in St. Peter's Basilica. The Catholic Church expects over 30 million additional visitors to Rome this year. This emphasizes the special importance of events and celebrations associated with this religious tradition.