The closing ceremonies for the Holy Doors in Rome's major basilicas are commencing following the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of 2025. Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas closed the Holy Door of St. Mary Major on December 25, 2025, marking the first closure. Pope Leo XIV will close the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on January 6, officially ending the Jubilee Year. Over 32 million pilgrims passed through the five opened Holy Doors during the Jubilee, which symbolizes conversion and the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Door of St. Mary Major saw over 20 million crossings, partly due to its significance as the intended burial place of Pope Francis.
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The 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope nears its end as Rome's Holy Doors close sequentially.1 2
Over 32 million pilgrims passed through them since openings in late 2024.1
On December 25, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas closed the Holy Door at St. Mary Major.1 2 3
The basilica drew over 20 million visitors, linked to Pope Francis' burial choice there.1
Makrickas emphasized that while a special Church time ends, God's merciful heart remains open forever.2 3
Makrickas called the Jubilee unique under two popes: Francis and Leo XIV.2 3
He urged opening "the door of the heart" through God's word, neighborly welcome, and forgiveness.2 3
Pilgrims must now become "doors open to others," echoing Leo XIV's view of hope as "decision" for love.2 3
Cardinal Baldassare Reina closed the Holy Door at St. John Lateran on December 27.5
He described "closeness" as the Jubilee's legacy, calling faithful to manifest God amid lacks in fraternity, justice, and peace.5
Reina invoked St. John as Jesus' close friend, urging concern for the burdened.5
He decried societal absences like fragile families and absent peace, pushing to overcome inertia for a transformed Rome.5
Believers should recognize all as siblings, even enemies, as judgment comes by love.5
St. Paul Outside the Walls closes December 28 by Cardinal James Michael Harvey.1 2 5
Pope Leo XIV seals St. Peter's on January 6, Epiphany, ending the Jubilee.1 2 5
Rebibbia Prison's door closed December 20, with sacraments for inmates.1
Peaks hit in May post-Leo XIV's election.1
The year spanned Francis' death and Leo XIV's leadership, a "testament to the Church's uninterrupted life."2 3
Doors symbolize conversion; indulgence gained by passage.1
Investigate Catholic doctrine on Holy Door symbolism and Jubilee
In Catholic doctrine, the Jubilee represents a profound period of spiritual renewal, echoing the biblical tradition of liberation, forgiveness of debts, and restoration of justice, while the Holy Door serves as its iconic symbol—embodying Christ himself as the sole gateway from sin to grace. Rooted in Leviticus 25, the Jubilee proclaims liberty throughout the land every fiftieth year, allowing the return to ancestral property, the freeing of slaves, and the cancellation of debts, all to reaffirm that the earth belongs to God and must serve all humanity equitably . In the Church's tradition, this evolves into extraordinary Holy Years offering plenary indulgences, revival of lost merits, and freedom from sin's dominion, as proclaimed by popes from Leo XII to Francis .
The Jubilee originates in the Old Testament as a sacred institution designed to restore harmony in Israelite society. Every fiftieth year, marked by the trumpet blast on the Day of Atonement, it mandated the return of sold lands to original owners, the emancipation of Hebrew slaves, and the remission of debts, ensuring no one remained perpetually oppressed . This was not merely economic relief but a theological reminder of God's lordship over creation: "the land originally belonged to God and has been entrusted to man... no one may claim exclusive possession". Pope Francis emphasizes its call to combat poverty and inequality, urging reflection on personal excess: "Why not leave [things] to those who have nothing?".
Jesus fulfills this prophecy, as the Church's social doctrine—rooted in Jubilee norms—protects the weak and views private property as bearing a "social mortgage" for the common good . Pope John Paul II links it to New Testament equality, where the Messiah brings true freedom, influencing modern teachings like Rerum Novarum.
Central to modern Jubilees, the Holy Door—first opened at St. John Lateran in 1423—symbolizes passage from sin to grace, directly evoking Christ's words: "I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved" (Jn 10:9) . Pope John Paul II describes it as Jesus alone, the "one and absolute way to salvation," requiring believers to confess him as Lord, leave sin behind, and embrace divine life . Passing through demands interior conversion, making oneself "small so that Christ can grow," rejecting worldly "doors" for the profound joy of faith.
Pope Francis reinforces this: the Door is Jesus, gratis salvation—not bought—opening the heart to mercy and others, excluding no one, even those who "bother" us. It transforms pilgrimage into a decision for Christ, the Redeemer who unites himself to every person .
Church Jubilees actualize biblical ideals through plenary indulgences, requiring confession, Communion, and prayer, reviving "merits and gifts lost by sinning," freeing from Satan's yoke, and absolving punishments via Christ's merits . Pope Leo XII proclaimed 1825 as a year of "expiation and forgiveness," echoing the Sabbath restoration. The liturgical year unfolds Christ's mysteries, with Jubilee amplifying Easter's graces .
Pilgrims crossing the Holy Door renew faith, gaining "saving grace" as the Church makes redemption present . It protests work's servitude, honoring the Sabbath rest for all, especially the poor.
Jubilee doctrine integrates mercy with justice, mandating care for the needy as Deuteronomy commands: "You shall open wide your hand to your brother" (Deut 15:11). Pope Francis's 2025 Peace Message recalls its proclamation of freedom for the oppressed, restoring God's justice in land, goods, and relationships. John Paul II applied it to global debt, urging cancellation for the poorest, as progress must serve all, not widen inequalities.
This "social doctrine" views riches as stewardship, ensuring the weak—echoing Psalm 72—are protected.
In summary, Catholic doctrine presents the Jubilee as God's gift of holistic renewal—spiritual, social, and merciful—with the Holy Door as Christ's inviting threshold to salvation. Amid the 2025 Jubilee, it calls all to pass through, hearts open, embracing liberty in him.