Pope Francis will launch Jubilee 2025 with a special ceremony on Christmas Eve on Tuesday, a year of Catholic festivities that will attract more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome.
The 88-year-old, who has been suffering from a cold in recent days, will open the “sacred door” of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican at 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) in front of 30,000 people and a live audience. TV viewers around the world.
Over the next 12 months, pilgrims will pass through the large and imposing bronze door, which is normally closed, to take advantage of what tradition calls “full indulgence,” a type of forgiveness for their sins.
Argentina’s Pope will preside over Christmas Eve mass in St. Peter’s before delivering his traditional Christmas Day blessing, Urbi et Orbi (For the City and the World), at noon on Wednesday.
Ahead of a busy week, the Pope did not say his usual Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday because of the cold, instead delivering it online from his home in the Vatican.
On Christmas Day, Francis is expected to reiterate his call for peace in the conflict-ridden world, especially in the Middle East.
He received an angry response from Israel over the weekend for condemning the “brutality” of Israeli attacks in Gaza, which have killed children.
About 700 security officers are being deployed to the Vatican and around Rome for the jubilee celebrations, with measures tightened following Friday’s deadly car attack at a Christmas market in Germany.
‘Little Miracle’
Organized by the Church every 25 years, the Jubilee is intended as a period of reflection and penance for Catholics, and is marked by a long list of cultural and religious events ranging from masses to exhibitions, conferences and concerts. .
In preparation, much of Rome has been redesigned, with monuments such as the Trevi Fountain and Ponte Sant’Angelo cleaned and streets redesigned to improve traffic flow.
Many residents have questioned how the Eternal City – where major sites are already overcrowded and public transport is unreliable – will cope with millions more visitors next year.
Major Jubilee projects were completed in the past few days after months of work, turning much of the city into a construction site.
Inaugurating a new road tunnel in Piazza Pia next to the Vatican on Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it had been a “little civic miracle” to get the project completed on time.
During the next few days, holy doors will be opened in three major basilicas in Rome and Catholic churches around the world.
On Thursday, Pope Francis will open a holy door in Rome’s Rebibia prison and preside over a mass in support of the prisoners.
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While primarily aimed at the world’s approximately 1.4 billion Catholics, the jubilee also aims to reach a broader audience.
And traditions have evolved since the first such event was initiated by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300.
This year, the Vatican has provided online registration and multilingual phone apps for pilgrims to navigate the events.
Jubilee 2025 also features a mascot named Luce (meaning Light in Latin), inspired by Japanese anime cartoons – a choice that drew some criticism from traditionalists, but is aimed at the younger generation.
With the motto “Pilgrims of Hope”, the event will bring groups from around the world to Rome until 2025, ranging from sports and business figures to migrants, artists and youth.
Among the groups registered on the official site is the Italian LGBTQ group La Tenda di Gionata, which reflects the Pope’s call for the church to be open to all.
As well as regular jubilees every 25 years, the Church has held extraordinary jubilees, most recently in 2016. The next is to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in 2033.
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