Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica on the evening of December 24, 2024, officially inaugurating the highly anticipated 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
The liturgical act of opening the Holy Door, as outlined in the Jubilee papal bull Spes non confundit, marked the start of the Ordinary Jubilee.
This historic event, celebrated every 25 years, began during the Christmas Mass at night and will conclude on January 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
The Holy Door, a significant symbol of the Jubilee, calls all who pass through it to embrace a life of holiness.
Following the Pope, representatives of the global faithful crossed its threshold during the Jubilee hymn, paving the way for millions of pilgrims from across the world to visit St. Peter's Basilica and partake in the mysteries of salvation throughout the Holy Year.
The tradition of the Holy Door dates back to 1423 when Pope Martin V opened it for the Extraordinary Jubilee at the Lateran Basilica.
Its use in St. Peter's Basilica began with the Jubilee of 1450. Over time, the ritual evolved, with Pope Alexander VI formalizing its practice in 1500 and subsequent changes introduced during the Jubilees of 1983 and 2000.
The most recent opening of the Holy Door for an Ordinary Jubilee occurred in the year 2000 under Pope St. John Paul II.
Pope Francis later opened the Holy Door in 2015 for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016.
Pope Francis emphasized the Jubilee’s purpose in his homily, urging the faithful to find strength in their faith and recognize the presence of the Risen Christ in their lives.
He prayed for the Holy Year to inspire Christian hope worldwide and transform believers into "pilgrims of Christian hope."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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