VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis opened the 'Holy Door' of St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve on Tuesday, launching the Jubilee year of Catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who has recently been suffering from a cold, was pushed in a wheelchair up to the huge, ornate bronze door and knocked on it before the doors opened.
THROUGH THE ‘HOLY DOOR’ Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican to mark the start of the Catholic Jubilee Year on Dec. 24, 2024. Pope Francis marks Christmas Eve with a special ceremony launching Jubilee 2025, a year of Catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome. Over the next 12 months, pilgrims will pass through the large and imposing bronze door, which is normally closed, by tradition benefiting from a ‘plenary indulgence,’ a type of forgiveness for their sins. PHOTO BY ALBERTO PIZZOLI/POOL/AFP