The Jubilee Year began with the opening of the Holy Door by Pope Francis

The Holy Year has started in Vatican City. With the solemn opening of the holy door of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis marked the beginning of the so-called Jubilee year on Tuesday evening, a tradition that has lasted for centuries within the Roman Catholic Church and is expected to attract tens of millions of people.

Sitting in his wheelchair, Francis was pushed through the doorway on Christmas Eve, which is normally bricked up. The opening of the sacred door of St. Peter’s is followed by a similar action in the other three archbasilicas in Rome. The last place to visit is the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls on January 5.

During the ceremony, the Pope reiterated his call on rich countries and financial institutions to reduce the debt burden of the poorest countries. “A time of jubilation for the poorer countries burdened by unfair debt; a time of jubilation for everyone living in slavery,” Reuters news agency quotes.

The tradition goes back to the year 1300. Traditionally, there is a Holy Year four times a century, although the practice became less rare in the twentieth century. The Pope is authorized to declare an extra Jubilee Year, as Francis did in 2016. The Holy Year of 2025, on the other hand, is according to the calendar count; the previous regular edition was in 2000.

Pilgrims

An estimated 30,000 people were present at the opening ceremony on Tuesday evening on the square in front of St. Peter’s, but it is expected that crowds of additional people will come to the city in the coming months to celebrate the Jubilee Year. The Vatican and the city of Rome welcome tens of millions of visitors.

In addition to the large numbers of tourists attending the numerous religious and cultural events that will be organized in the coming year, many Catholic pilgrims will also make the journey to Rome. For them, the year of jubilee is above all about its religious significance: obtaining forgiveness of sins.

Throughout the Jubilee Year, the holy doors of the basilicas will be open so that pilgrims can step through. After praying for the needs of the Pope, among other things, through confession and participation in the Eucharist, pilgrims can then claim an indulgence – a way to pay for sins.

The Holy Year ends on January 6, 2026. Then the holy doors are solemnly closed again.

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