reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach...
Holy Doors of Papal Basilicas sealed until next Jubilee
The Holy See Press Office outlines the schedule of the private rites during which the Holy Doors of the four Papal Basilicas will be sealed.
Vatican News
According to a statement by the Holy See Press Office, the sealing of the Holy Doors in the Papal Basilicas is being completed this week in private ceremonies.
The Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major was sealed on Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM local time.
The ceremony will continue on Wednesday at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, followed the next day, 15 January, by the sealing of the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The final rite will take place on Friday evening, 16 January, at St. Peter’s Basilica.
According to the statement, a bronze box is placed within the masonry during the ceremony, as is customary.
It contains the official record of the closing of the Holy Door, the key of the Door, several papal medals dating from the last closing in 2016 to today, and, where available, a commemorative medal of the Basilica.
Pope Leo XIV closes the Holy Door, concluding Jubilee Year of Hope on the Lord's Epiphany
On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV presides over Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica for some 5,800 faithful and closes the last Holy Door - marking the official end of the Jubilee Year of Hope.
Vatican News
On Tuesday, marking the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV presided over Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica for some 5,800 faithful.
At the start of the Mass, the Pope closed the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica, the last of the Holy Doors opened for the Jubilee Year. The gesture marked the end of months in which “a stream of innumerable men and women, pilgrims of hope,” crossed the threshold of the Basilica, journeying toward what the Pope described as “the new Jerusalem, the city whose doors are always open.”
The Magi and Herod
Reflecting on the Gospel of the Day, taken from Matthew, the Pope in his homily focused on the joy of the Magi and the fear of Herod, noting that Scripture never hides the tension that accompanies God’s manifestation. “Every time Sacred Scripture speaks of God manifesting himself,” he said, “it does not hide the contrasting reactions, such as joy and agitation, resistance and obedience, fear and longing.” The Epiphany, he added, reveals a God whose presence never leaves things as they are: “Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, aware that in his presence nothing stays the same.”
This divine appearing, the Pope continued, marks the beginning of hope. God’s presence “puts an end to that type of melancholic complacency which causes people endlessly to say, ‘There is nothing new under the sun.’” Instead, “something new begins which determines the present and the future,” fulfilling the prophetic promise: “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
Yet it is Jerusalem, the Pope continued - a city accustomed to revelation, that is troubled by the Magi’s search. Those who know the Scriptures and “think they have all the answers,” the Pope noted, “seem to have lost the ability to ask questions and cultivate a sense of longing.” The city is unsettled by those who arrive “moved by hope,” threatened by what should instead be a source of joy. “This reaction,” he said, “also challenges us as a Church.”
The searching of today’s men and women
Reflecting then on the Jubilee, Pope Leo invited the faithful to consider the spiritual searching of today’s men and women. “Who were these men and women, and what motivated them?” he asked. “What did they find? What was in their hearts, their questions, their feelings?” Like the Magi, he said, many still feel compelled to set out. “The Magi still exist today,” he stressed. They are those who “sense the need to go out and search, accepting the risks associated with their journey,” even in a world that is often “unpleasant and dangerous.”
The Gospel, the Pope said, calls the Church not to fear this movement of searching humanity, but “to appreciate it, and orient it toward God who sustains us.” This is not a God who can be controlled. “He is a God who can unsettle us because he does not remain firmly in our hands like the idols of silver and gold; instead, he is alive and life-giving, like the Baby whom Mary cradled in her arms and whom the wise men adored.”
For this reason, holy places must communicate life. Jubilee pilgrimage sites, the Pope said, “must diffuse the aroma of life, the unforgettable realisation that another world has begun.” He then posed the question: “Is there life in our Church? Is there space for something new to be born? Do we love and proclaim a God who sets us on a journey?”
In contrast there is Herod, whose fear of losing power distorts his response to God’s action. Herod, the Pope noted, “fears for his throne and is agitated about those things that he feels are beyond his control.” Fear, he warned, “does indeed blind us.” The joy of the Gospel, by contrast, “liberates us,” making believers “prudent, yes, but also bold, attentive and creative,” and opening paths “different to those already traveled.”
At the heart of the Epiphany
At the heart of the Epiphany, said Pope Leo, bringing a close to his homily, stands a gift that cannot be bought or controlled. “The child whom the Magi adore is a priceless and immeasurable Good.” His revelation does not take place “in a prestigious location, but in humble place,” and yet to Bethlehem it is said: “You are by no means least.”
“It is wonderful to become pilgrims of hope,” the Pope said. “It is wonderful for us to continue to be pilgrims together.” Finally, he concluded, if the Church resists becoming a monument and remains a home, he concluded, she may yet become “the generation of a new dawn,” guided always by Mary, Star of the Morning, toward “an extraordinary humanity, transformed not by the delusions of the all-powerful, but by God who became flesh out of love.”
The Holy Year concludes on Sunday, 28 December – the Feast of the Holy Family – in accordance with "Spes non confundit," the Bull of the Indiction of the 2025 Jubilee.
By Don Paweł Rytel-Andrianik
The solemn opening of the Jubilee Year in particular churches took place on Sunday, 29 December 2024. Bishops designated churches or chapels where the faithful could obtain Jubilee indulgences within the territory of their dioceses, just like those who made pilgrimages to Rome.
Pilgrims of Hope
The motto of the Jubilee 2025 Peregrinantes in Spem, “Pilgrims of Hope”.
In the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis expressed his desire that everyone would have hope. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.” The Pope emphasized that we often meet discouraged people who look to the future with skepticism and pessimism, as if nothing could bring them happiness. In this context, Pope Francis expressed his hope that the Jubilee would be an opportunity for everyone to rekindle their hope.
Closing of the Holy Door in the Papal Basilicas
The closing of the Holy Door in the papal basilicas of Rome is a visible sign of the last days of the Holy Year. On Christmas Day, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas presided at the rite of closing the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
“The heart of God remains open,” emphasized the archpriest of the Liberian Basilica, who asked people to open themselves to listening to the Word, to welcoming others, and to forgiveness. Hope is a light to be translated into prayer and attention to the poor in order to be a Church “with the Gospel in our hands and our brothers and sisters in our hearts,” said Cardinal Makrickas.
The Holy Door at the Lateran was closed on 27 December, the feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist. “Today, as we close the Holy Door, we raise a hymn of thanksgiving to the Father for all the signs of His love for us, while we keep in our hearts the awareness and hope that remains open to all peoples: His embrace of mercy and peace,” said Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina, Archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, who presided at the closing ceremony.
On Sunday, 28 December, the feast of the Holy Family, Cardinal James Harvey, Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, celebrated the Holy Mass with the rite of closing the Holy Door.
Epiphany 2026: The end of the Jubilee Year
Pope Leo XIV will conclude the Ordinary Jubilee by closing the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. This will take place on 6 January 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany.
Announcing the closing of the Holy Door, Pope Francis expressed his hope: “may the light of Christian hope illumine every man and woman, as a message of God’s love addressed to all! And may the Church bear faithful witness to this message in every part of the world!” (Spes non confundit, 6).
Pope: Altar servers help lead faithful into sacred Mystery of Mass
Meeting with altar servers from France, Pope Leo XIV laments the country’s lack of priests and upholds the ministry of young people at the altar, saying the dignity of their service helps lead people into the sacred greatness of the Mystery.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV met with around 360 altar servers from France on Monday, as they made a pilgrimage to Rome with their priests and bishops as part of the Jubilee Year.
In his address, the Pope said their pilgrimage through the Holy Doors offers them a chance to turn toward God and grow in faith and love so that they may be more faithful disciples of Christ.
He invited the young French Catholics to take time to speak to Jesus in the secrecy of their hearts and to love Him more.
“He desires nothing more than to be part of your life, to illumine it from within, to become your best and most faithful friend,” he said. “Life becomes beautiful and joyful with Jesus.”
Pope Leo recalled that hope is the focus of the Jubilee, noting that the world’s many problems reminds Christians of our need for the theological virtue of hope.
In the midst of global issues, as well as personal pain due to loss or worry, the Pope invited the young people to look to Jesus, who has the power to save us and is always near because He loves us.
“There is certain proof that Jesus loves us and saves us: He gave His life for us by offering it on the cross,” he said. “In fact, there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for those one loves.”
Hope, he added, will always accompany us throughout life and will serve as an anchor in the storms and difficulties that are sure to arise.
Pope Leo blesses the French altar servers (@Vatican Media)
The most wonderful thing about the Catholic faith, said Pope Leo XIV, is that God Himself “willed to suffer and die for the creatures we are. God loved us to the point of dying for us!”
Humanity, he said, has nothing to fear from God, who loves us so much that He continuously offers His imperishable life to us.
Pope Leo recalled that the Church hands down the memory of Jesus’ sacrifice to save us through the Eucharist and daily celebration of Mass, which altar servers assist the priest in celebrating.
“Dear Altar Servers, the celebration of the Mass saves us today!” he said. “It saves the world today! It is the most important event in the life of the Christian and in the life of the Church, for it is the encounter where God gives Himself to us in love, again and again.”
Christians, added the Pope, do not attend Mass out of obligation but out of love and our own need for the life of God.
Pope Leo XIV then thanked the French altar servers for their generous service to their parishes and urged them to always “keep in mind the greatness and holiness of what is being celebrated.”
“May your attitude, your silence, the dignity of your service, the liturgical beauty, the order and majesty of your gestures, lead the faithful into the sacred greatness of the Mystery,” he said.
The Pope also invited young people to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, saying that “the lack of priests in France is a great misfortune” for France and for the Church.
In conclusion, Pope Leo said the altar servers can bear witness to the pride and joy that comes from serving at Mass, inviting them to persevere in offering a sign of hope to the world.
Jubilee of the Sick marks the 7th in the list of Holy Year events
Patients, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, healthcare personnel, and technicians from 90 countries will participate in the events held in Rome and Vatican City.
By Vatican News
The 7th Jubilee event, dedicated to the sick and to the world of healthcare, will take place in Rome on April 5-6. Some 20,000 people from over 90 countries, including patients, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare personnel, and technicians, will flock to the Eternal City to participate.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Door
On Saturday, April 5, the two-day event will begin with the opportunity for a pilgrimage to the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica. In the afternoon, a series of cultural, spiritual, and artistic offerings called “Dialogues with the City” will take place in the squares of Rome, organized by associations, organizations, and movements.
Events of hope, giving, and care
In the afternoon, in Piazza di Spagna, a meeting titled “The Value of Giving and Solidarity,” organized by the Ministry of Health, will feature speeches by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Italian Minister of Health, the Mayor of Rome, and other civil authorities.
Later that day, the jubilee events are scheduled to continue with a conference titled “Hospice = Hope” on the topic of palliative care, hosted by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and organized by the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.
The American Heart Association is to offer practical support by leading a session to teach CPR techniques in English, Spanish, French, Polish, and German.
The Fratres association, in collaboration with the National Office for Health Pastoral Care of the Central European Initiative, will raise awareness about a blood drive taking place in Piazza San Giovanni in the evening.
From a medical case to a cause for canonization
At the Church of Santa Monica, a conference on Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro, a medical student who passed away from a rare disease, will be held. Her sister, Emanuela, and her biographer and postulator, Fr. Andrea Vena, will speak.
There will also be moments of prayer for the sick, with Eucharistic Adoration and catecheses led by religious congregations whose charism is care. Other appointments include a moment of prayer titled "Following the Footsteps of Blessed Luigi Novarese. Finding Blessing When Life is Marked by Fragility," held at the Church of St. Mary of the Suffrage.
The second and final day of the Jubilee for the Sick and the World of Healthcare will feature a Mass in St. Peter’s Square presided over by Archbishop Fisichella, who will read the homily written by Pope Francis for the occasion.
Half a million pilgrims have already crossed the threshold of St Peter's Holy Door
Over half a million pilgrims have passed through the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica in the first two weeks of the Jubilee Year 2025.
By Francesca Merlo
Over half a million pilgrims have already passed through St Peter’s Basilica's Holy Door since the Jubilee Year 2025 began just two weeks ago. According to a press statement released on Tuesday, a total of 545,532 faithful from across the globe have made the pilgrimage to Rome.
The opening of the Jubilee year took place on the 24th of December 2024 and since then pilgrims have been arriving in groups and processing up Via della Conciliazione - led by the symbolic Jubilee Cross - to reach St Peter’s Basilica.
A great start to the Jubilee
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation and organiser of the Jubilee, described the number of pilgrims that have already crossed the threshold as “a very significant start.”
“The groups crowding Via della Conciliazione are offering an important witness,” said Archbishop Fisichella, adding that “this also reflects the great sense of safety and security pilgrims feel in the city of Rome and around the four papal basilicas.”
The press statement notes that the Vatican, in collaboration with Italian authorities and the Rome Prefecture, have been working diligently to ensure the safety and smooth organisation of the influx of visitors. Archbishop Fisichella acknowledged that there had been some initial challenges in managing the flow of pilgrims but he assured that the Dicastery is committed to improving the experience for all.
“We are working tirelessly to ensure that pilgrims receive a warm welcome and an experience that meets their expectations,” he added.
With the opening of the last of the Holy Doors, at St Paul Outside the Walls on the 5th of January, pilgrims can now complete their pilgrimage by passing through the Holy Doors of all four major papal basilicas in Rome: St Peter’s Basilica, St John Lateran, St Mary Major, and St Paul Outside the Walls.
Given the high demand, pilgrims are encouraged to book their visit in advance via the official Jubilee website, iubilaeum2025.va.
Jubilee for communication
The first major event of the Jubilee Year, the Jubilee for Communication, is set to take place from the 24th to the 26th of January. Thousands of journalists, media experts, and communication professionals are expected to gather in Rome for this occasion, whilst the Vatican and Rome continue to prepare to greet millions more throughout the Jubilee.
Holy Door of Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls opened
On the eve of the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Second Sunday after Christmas, Cardinal James Harvey, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, opens the Holy Door, crossing the threshold of the Basilica as the Jubilee hymn resounded. He says the Church invites each pilgrim "to undertake a spiritual journey in the footsteps of faith."
By Amedeo Lomonaco
“I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!' Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.” The words of the Psalmist and the sound of the horn accompanied the opening rite of the last Holy Door to be opened, found in the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, presided over on Sunday 5 January by Cardinal Archpriest James Michael Harvey.
The sequence of moments and images echoed what has already been experienced in the start of the Jubilee of Hope, beginning at Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome's Rebibbia prison, and the Basilicas of Saint John Lateran and Saint Mary Major. The gaze of the faithful, before entering the Basilica that holds the relics of the Apostle of the Gentiles, turned towards the cross at the top of the tympanum of the mosaic facade. Beneath this symbol of life overcoming death and sin are two words in Latin: ‘Spes unica’, words stating the certainty that Christ is the hope, the Door to enter the Kingdom of God.
Opening of the Holy Door
In the Basilica of Saint Paul, located on the Via Ostiense in the district of the same name near the left bank of the Tiber and a few kilometres from the place where the Apostle suffered martyrdom, the opening rite of the Holy Door was marked by prayer. Cardinal Harvey approached the Holy Door, on the right side of the façade, made of bronze with bas-reliefs depicting significant episodes in the life of Saint Paul. He then opened the door to a prayerful silence from the faithful. The ringing of the Basilica bells preceded the next moments.
Cardinal Harvey crossed the threshold as the Jubilee hymn resounded. The procession, which was also joined by members of the monastic community of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, made its way to the Altar of Confession. The Cardinal Archpriest, together with, among others, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation and organiser of the Jubilee, walked down the nave of the basilica. The Eucharistic celebration was attended by over 2,800 people.
Joy and hope
Faithful and pilgrims listened to the passage from John's Gospel on the incarnation of the Word who "came to dwell among us." In his homily Cardinal Harvey dwelt on the opening of the Holy Door, "an act that is as simple as it is evocative." "We have crossed the threshold of the sacred temple with immense joy, because in a symbolic way, we have passed through the door of hope." He highlighted two key words of the Holy Year: joy and hope. "Joy," said Cardinal Harvey, "because the Saviour has been born; hope because Christ is our hope."
Forgiveness and mercy
Joy, "the right sentiment for the gift of Redemption in Jesus Christ," unites the times experienced by the Church and the people of God at this present moment, he observed. The joy for the Christmas season is in fact accompanied this year by the Jubilee, a journey that finds in forgiveness the star for all the steps people take. "The opening of the Holy Door," he continued in his homily, "marks the salvific passage opened by Christ through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, calling all members of the Church to be reconciled with God and with one another."
Crossing the threshold of the Holy Door with faith means entering "the time of mercy and forgiveness, so that...the way of hope that does not disappoint may be opened to every woman and man." He emphasised "how much we need hope right now! In this post-pandemic period, unfortunately wounded by tragedies, wars, and crises of various kinds, hope, though undoubtedly linked to the future, is also experienced in the present."
Pilgrims of hope
He recalled Pope Francis' catechesis at a recent General Audience when he underscored that hope "“is not an empty word, or a vague wish of ours that things may turn out for the best;" rather, "hope is a certainty, because it is founded on God’s fidelity to His promises."
Hope should not be thought of as "a passive virtue," he continued, a time when one "merely waits for things to happen." It is actually, as the Pope in his catechesis emphasised, "a supremely active virtue that helps to make things happen."
The Jubilee of 2025, like every Holy Year, asks us to become pilgrims, Cardinal Harvey concluded, and that involves "feeling part of a community that for two thousand years has travelled the roads of this world, proclaiming the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." The Church invites each pilgrim "to undertake a spiritual journey in the footsteps of faith." He prayed "may the Holy Spirit...accompany our steps in this pilgrimage of faith, steadfast in the hope that does not disappoint."
