REFILE: Inside Vatican's Holy Year traditions: A look at final preparations for Jubilee 2025

Record ID: 1891966

  • Title: REFILE: Inside Vatican's Holy Year traditions: A look at final preparations for Jubilee 2025
  • Date: 22nd December 2024
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (DECEMBER 18, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, JOSHUA MCELWEE, SAYING: "The Pope will also be having audiences throughout the year with groups coming to Rome specifically for the Jubilee. So, we'll see the Pope's calendar for next year get filled up with all these special audiences. And we can expect that the Pope will have a
  • Embargoed: 5th January 2025 08:49
  • Keywords: HOLY YEAR JUBILEE POPE FRANCIS ST. PETER'S BASILICA
  • Location: VATICAN CITY AND ROME, ITALY
  • City: VATICAN CITY AND ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Vatican City
  • Topics: Europe,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA006868320122024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Final preparations are underway for the start of the Holy Year, which will emphasise the need for hope in a world afflicted with hunger, poverty and war.
    One of the Roman Catholic Church's most significant events, the Holy Year, or Jubilee, will begin on Christmas Eve (December 24) when Pope Francis officially unlocks the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica.
    The massive bronze door, adorned with panels depicting human sin and God's mercy, will serve as the focal point of the Jubilee.
    Earlier in December, the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica was ceremonially unsealed in a solemn ritual led by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti. This marked the first step in preparing the sacred portal, accessible only during Jubilee years.
    The ceremony saw Vatican workers, known as "Sampietrini," dismantle the brick wall that had sealed the door since the last Jubilee. Behind the wall lay a metal box containing the key to the door, which was verified in a moment steeped in tradition.
    The Holy Doors, representing the doorway to salvation, are only opened during Jubilee years. Rome’s four Holy Doors, including those at St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls, will open progressively, with St. Peter’s Basilica as the focal point.
    Pilgrims passing through these doors are believed to secure the remission of their sins. Beyond the Vatican, other Holy Doors will be designated worldwide, including one in Rebibbia prison in Rome, which Pope Francis will open on December 26 as part of the Jubilee.
    Over 32 million pilgrims are expected in Rome during the Jubilee, which runs until January 6, 2026. Pope Francis will emphasise forgiveness, unity, and debt relief, continuing the Church’s mission to inspire compassion and hope worldwide.
    (Production: Gabriele Pileri, Oriana Boselli)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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