Pope Francis ‘throws open’ Holy Door to inaugurate 2025 Jubilee
Pope Francis officially inaugurated the 2025 Jubilee of Hope by opening the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024. This significant event marks the beginning of a Jubilee year, which occurs every 25 years, and will conclude with the door’s closing on January 6, 2026, during the Solemnity of the Epiphany.
During the ceremony, which coincided with the Christmas Mass, the Pope emphasized themes of hope and renewal. He briefly stepped away from the atrium before returning to knock five times on the door, which was adorned with greenery and flowers.
As he opened the door, bells rang throughout the basilica, symbolizing the start of this momentous occasion.
In addition to St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis plans to open Holy Doors at other significant locations in Rome, including a special door at a prison, highlighting his commitment to inclusivity and hope for all individuals. The Jubilee is expected to attract millions of pilgrims seeking spiritual renewal and forgiveness.
As Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the evening of 24 December 2024, he ushered in the widely-anticipated 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
With the liturgical gesture of the Door’s opening at the start of the Christmas Mass during the Night, as explained in the papal bull for the Jubilee Spes non confundit, the Pope inaugurated the Ordinary Jubilee, a historic event taking place every 25 years.
The Ordinary Jubilee will conclude with the closing of the same Holy Door on 6 January 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
The significance of the Holy Door
The Holy Door is deemed ‘Holy’ since it calls all those who enter through it to walk in holiness of life. In the footsteps of the Pope, during the singing of the Jubilee hymn, representatives of the entire People of God crossed its threshold, as a prelude to the countless pilgrims of hope from every country and language who will visit St. Peter’s Basilica and celebrate the mysteries of salvation during the Holy Year.
The tradition of opening the Holy Door dates back to Pope Martin V, who opened a Holy Door at the Lateran Basilica during the Extraordinary Jubilee of 1423. The first use of a Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica occurred during the Jubilee of 1450.
Today, the Holy Door is located on the rear wall of the chapel dedicated to the Mother of God, a position it has maintained since its inception. In 1500, Pope Alexander VI established a ritual for opening the Holy Door that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. This practice evolved at the turn of the millennium when, in 2000, the previous brick wall was replaced by a ceremonial opening of the bronze door, which had been installed in 1983.
The last Ordinary Jubilee saw Pope St. John Paul II open the Holy Door in 2000. More recently, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in 2015 for his Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.The Jubilee serves as an opportunity to strengthen faith and recognize Christ’s presence among believers.
The Pope has expressed hope that “during the Holy Year, may the light of Christian hope illuminate every man and woman as a message of God’s love addressed to all! And may the Church bear faithful witness to this message in every part of the world!”
The Holy Father invited us to pray, to prepare ourselves throughout this year, so that this Jubilee may “strengthen us in our faith, helping us to recognize the Risen Christ in the midst of our lives, transforming us into pilgrims of Christian hope.”
Restoring us to Our Father’s embrace
The Pope picked up the Jubilee theme of hope in his homily. He began recalling the Gospel passage according to St. Luke which recounts when the angel of the Lord, bathed in light, illumines the night and brings glad tidings to the shepherds: ‘I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’ (Lk 2:10-11).
At that moment, the Holy Father reflected on how Heaven breaks forth upon earth amid the wonder of the poor and the singing of angels. “God,” he highlighted, “has become one of us to make us like Himself; He has come down to us to lift us up and restore us to the embrace of the Father.”
Little Child offers hope for the world
In Emmanuel, ‘God with us,’ the Pope reiterated, we find our hope.
With the opening of the Holy Door, Pope Francis proclaimed the inauguration of the new Jubilee, inviting everyone to engage with the mystery of this extraordinary event.
“Tonight, the door of hope has swung wide open to the world,” he stated, adding that “God speaks to each of us and says: ‘there is hope also for you!’
“He urged believers to “hasten” towards the Lord born for us, encouraging hearts to be joyful and attentive, ready to encounter Him and bring hope into our daily lives. The Pope emphasized that Christian hope is not merely a passive expectation of a “happy ending,” but rather a promise from the Lord that must be embraced in our current world filled with suffering.
Pope Francis highlighted that the Jubilee serves as a call to action, urging individuals not to linger in old habits or succumb to mediocrity and laziness. He referenced Saint Augustine, who suggested that hope compels us to be disturbed by injustices and find the courage to enact change.
In this spirit, the Holy Father encouraged disciples of the Lord to discover greater hope in Him and carry that hope forward as “pilgrims of light amid the darkness of this world.”
Kester reporting from vatican
