SEALED. Pope Leo XIV presides over the sealing of the symbolic Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday (Jan. 6, 2025). The activity officially ended the 2025 Holy Year of Hope that the late Pope Francis opened in December 2024. (Photo courtesy of Vatican News)
VATICAN – Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday presided over the sealing of the symbolic Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the official conclusion of the 25th Ordinary Jubilee of the Catholic Church.
The late Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in December 2024 for a Holy Year dedicated to hope, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
The celebration was attended by Italian institutional representatives, including President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura, Cardinals, Bishops, Diplomats, and Catholic devotees around the globe.
Pope Leo XIV reminded the attendees that even if the Holy Door is closed, the doors of God’s Mercy remain wide open.
“The Holy Door of this Basilica, which today is the last to be closed, has seen a stream of innumerable men and women, pilgrims of hope, journeying toward the new Jerusalem, the city whose doors are always open,” he said.
Thousands of believers attended the celebration that marked the end of the Jubilee of Hope, including 65-year-old Fil-Canadian Amanda Ada.
She said witnessing the historical event of the Jubilee Year for her is an intimate and solemn time for God.
“Actually, my original plan is to visit Central America, but when I learned about the jubilee, I changed my plan. Now, I’m here attending the pilgrimage because of my faith, and I believe this is the tradition of the church, and I feel so blessed,” Ada said.
According to the Vatican, throughout the Jubilee Year, more than 33 million pilgrims walked through the Holy Door of the Vatican Basilica, witnessing a Church united in faith and hope.
The Holy Door is scheduled to be reopened again in 2033, for the celebration of Redemption. (PNA)