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As a prologue to the Christmas Eve Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica on December 24, 2024, Pope Francis performed the rite of opening the Holy Door. In doing so, he officially opened the Jubilee 2025, which will run until January 6, 2026, and is expected to attract over 30 million pilgrims to Rome.
It was precisely 7:17 pm when Pope Francis -- remaining seated in his wheelchair, despite a moment's hesitation that suggested he wanted to stand up -- symbolically knocked on the door, which opened before him. The Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica had been closed on November 20, 2015, at the end of the Jubilee of Mercy.
He entered the basilica in profound silence, before the bells rang out, followed by the Jubilee 2025 hymn, “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The opening liturgical prayer was an invitation to cross the threshold and enter into the time of mercy and forgiveness.
The opening rite was preceded by a Liturgy of the Word, with the reading of Old Testament texts in Italian, English, French, and Spanish, and the proclamation of the Gospel in Latin. The beginning of the celebration took place in the basilica's atrium, and was followed on giant screens by the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
As a sign of the universality of the people of God, 54 faithful from different walks of life, including children and people with disabilities, passed through the Holy Door before the cardinals and prelates and took part in the procession to the altar. They wore traditional garb from their home countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Philippines, France, India, Iran, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Slovakia, South Korea, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, USA, Venezuela and Vietnam.
In addition to some of the cardinals, bishops, and prelates concelebrating the Mass, four "fraternal delegates" representing other Churches passed through the Holy Door. Several representatives of the civil authorities were present, including the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, and the head of government, Giorgia Meloni.
Christmas Eve Mass continued at the Altar of Confession.
The other four Holy Doors
On December 26, Pope Francis will open a second Holy Door at Rebibbia prison, north-east of Rome, where he has already visited on several occasions. The prison is famous for having welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1983 to pardon the terrorist Mehmet Ali Agça, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier.
The opening rites of the Holy Doors of the other three major basilicas will subsequently be performed by their respective archpriests, and not by the pope.
On December 29, 2024, contrary to what he had indicated in his bull Spes non confundit, it will not be Pope Francis but Cardinal Baldassare Reina who will open the Holy Door of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome.
On January 1, 2025, Polish Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko will open the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Finally, the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls will be opened on January 5 by Cardinal James Michael Harvey.
Unlike during the 2015-2016 Jubilee of Mercy, this time dioceses outside Rome will not set up their own Holy Doors. However, opening Masses for the Jubilee are to be celebrated in cathedrals around the world, especially on Sunday, December 29.
