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Pope Leo XIV closed the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica at 9:41 a.m. on January 6, 2026, thus concluding the 28th Jubilee in the history of the Catholic Church.
Just over a year after its opening by Pope Francis on December 24, 2024, his successor knelt in prayer on the threshold before closing, one by one, the two heavy doors through which millions of pilgrims passed in 2025.
The rite took place in the presence of Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
This bronze door, located to the right of the nave, which is opened only during Holy Years and has marked their commencement since 1500, will then be sealed from within the basilica by a brick wall, in which a case containing its keys will be enclosed.
A reflection from Pope Francis
But the “pilgrim” is one who not only walks, but has a destination, and a particular destination: the pilgrim’s destination is a holy place, which attracts him, which motivates the journey, which sustains him in his fatigue.
In the case of the Jubilee, the destination is a door. Curious, isn’t it? The Holy Door.
Of course it is a symbol: the Holy Door represents Jesus Christ, His Mystery of salvation, which allows us to enter into the new life, free from the slavery of sin, free to love and serve God and neighbor.
Leo XIV went on to celebrate the Mass of the Epiphany at the high altar and recite the Angelus at noon with the faithful in St. Peter's Square.
The Pope pronounced the Marian prayer from the loggia of the basilica, lending the event a particular solemnity.
