Pope opens holy door at Roman prison
December 26, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: On St. Stephen’s Day, Pope Francis opened a holy door at Rebibbia New Complex Prison, one of five such holy doors for the 2025 jubilee year. The Pontiff then presided at Mass in the prison chapel.
Describing the holy door—long associated with jubilee indulgences—as a symbol of our heart, the Pope warned that “when the hearts is closed, it becomes hard like stone; it forgets tenderness.” The Pope also called on prisoners to cling to the anchor of hope.
The opening of the holy door at the prison took place two days after the opening of the holy door at St. Peter’s Basilica, and before the opening of the holy doors at the Lateran Basilica (December 29), St. Mary Major (January 1), and St. Paul Outside the Walls (January 5).
In Spes Non Confundit, his bull of indiction for the jubilee year, Pope Francis wrote, “In order to offer prisoners a concrete sign of closeness, I would myself like to open a Holy Door in a prison, as a sign inviting prisoners to look to the future with hope and a renewed sense of confidence” (n. 10). Cathedrals and shrines outside of Rome will not have holy doors, though the faithful may gain indulgences in other ways, such as visits to cathedrals and other places.
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