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.”
2025 in numbers: Over 3 million faithful visited the Vatican
Data released by the Prefecture of the Papal Household shows that over 250,000 people attended papal audiences and liturgical celebrations in the Vatican in the period to April. Following the election of Pope Leo XIV in early May, nearly three million faithful took part in Masses and ceremonies.
By Vatican News
In 2025, 3,176,620 people were present for papal audiences and liturgies in the Vatican.
That's according to figures disclosed by the Prefecture of the Papal Household, which include General, Jubilee, and special audiences; liturgical celebrations; and the recitation of the Angelus.
Between January and April, there were a limited number of events held in the Vatican, due to Pope Francis' ill health. 262,820 people visited the Vatican in that period: 60,500 for the eight General and Jubilee Audiences in that period, 10,320 for the special ones, 62,000 of the faithful going to Masses, and 130,000 attending the Angelus.
Numbers since Pope Leo's election
Since Pope Leo XIV’s election to the papacy on May 8, 2,913,800 visitors have been recorded. 1,069,000 of the faithful attended the 36 General and Jubilee Audiences, with 148,300 participating in special audiences.
In addition, data shows that 796,500 attended liturgical rituals, while 900,000 were in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus. Attendance at the recitation of the Marian prayer was highest in December, as 250,000 went to pray the Angelus with the Pope.
The largest number of faithful attending both liturgical celebrations (nearly 200,000) and General and Jubilee Audiences (about 295,000) was recorded in October.
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: Even as Jubilee ends we remain pilgrims of hope
As the Jubilee Year draws to a close, Pope Leo XIV reminds the faithful that its deepest gift endures. Hope, he says, continues to shape the Church’s journey, calling all to remain pilgrims who generate life and renewal.
Vatican News
Addressing the faithful during the last Saturday Jubilee Audience of this Holy Year, Pope Leo XIV reminded Christians that the pilgrimage it inspired does not end.
“The Jubilee is drawing to a close,” the Pope said, “but the hope that this Year has given us does not end we will remain pilgrims of hope.”
Beginning his catechesis with words regarding the approaching celebration of Christmas, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the meaning of Christian hope, rooted not in fear but in the closeness of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Without Christ, he noted, the proclamation that “the Lord is near” could sound threatening; in Jesus, however, it becomes a promise of mercy.
“In Him there is no threat, but forgiveness,” the Pope said, pointing to the mystery of the Incarnation as the definitive sign of a God who gives life and continually renews it.
Without hope we are dead
Quoting Saint Paul’s words to the Romans, “For in hope we were saved”, Pope Leo XIV explained that hope is not a vague sentiment, but a living, generative force.
“Without hope, we are dead; with hope, we come into the light,” he said, describing hope as a theological virtue, “a power of God,” that brings forth life.
True strength, the Pope explained, is not found in domination or fear. “What threatens and kills is not strength,” he said, “it is arrogance, aggressive fear, evil that generates nothing.” God’s strength, by contrast, “gives birth,” and for this reason, he concluded, “to hope is to generate.”
Listen to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor
Turning to the groaning of creation described by Saint Paul, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to listen attentively to “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor,” lamenting the injustice of a world in which resources are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few. God, he recalled, intended the goods of creation for all.
“Our task,” he said plainly, “is to generate, not to steal.”
History is in the hands of God and those who hope in Him
Even suffering, the Pope noted, takes on a new meaning in faith: it becomes “the suffering of childbirth.” God continues to create, and human beings, sustained by hope, are called to cooperate in that creative work. “History,” he said, “is in the hands of God and of those who hope in Him.”
Reflecting on the Marian dimension of Christian prayer, Pope Leo XIV pointed to Mary of Nazareth as the living image of hope that gives life. In her, he said, believers see “one of us who generates,” one who gave “face, body and voice to the Word of God.”
“Jesus wants to be born again,” the Pope said. “We can give Him body and voice. This is the childbirth for which creation waits.”
“To hope,” he concluded, “is to see this world become the world of God.”
During his homily on the Sunday of the Jubilee of Prisoners, Pope Leo XIV challenges both inmates and those responsible for the prisons to hold on to hope and he reminds everyone “that no human being is defined only by his or her actions and that justice is always a process of reparation and reconciliation.”
By Kielce Gussie
On the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the word “Gaudete”. He explained the “joy” of this Sunday reminds us of "the bright dimension of waiting: the trust that something beautiful, something joyful, will happen.”
14 December also marked the Jubilee of Hope for prisoners and all those who work in prisons. Pope Leo recalled that 26 December last year, his predecessor Pope Francis opened the Holy Door inside Rome's Rebibbia prison, urging his listeners to "throw open the doors of your heart.”
On that occasion, Pope Francis also urged everyone to be generous “workers of justice and charity in the environments where we live.”
There is still hope
With the Jubilee Year of Hope coming to a close, Pope Leo stressed that, despite efforts that have been made, “much remains to be done in the prison world.” He acknowledged the prisons are challenging environments, and “even the best intentions may encounter many obstacles.”
Yet, he argued it is specifically for this reason that we must all avoid growing tired or discouraged. Rather, the Holy Father stressed that we must persevere. “Many still fail to understand that from every fall, one must be able to rise again,” Pope Leo explained. “No human being is defined by what they have done, and justice is always a process of repair and reconciliation.”
Pope Leo incenses the statue of Our Lady with the Child Jesus in St. Peter's Basilica (@VATICAN MEDIA)
If we create and keep safe spaces for sensitivity, attention to others’ needs, respect, mercy and forgiveness to flourish—even in the most difficult times— “beautiful flowers bloom, and even within the prison walls, unique gestures, projects, and encounters mature in their humanity.”
This is essential for those living without their freedom, the Pope stressed, but it is also important for those who represent justice for inmates. This Jubilee “is a call to conversion, and precisely for this reason, it is a source of hope and joy.”
Keep compassion at the center
To achieve this, it is necessary to first look to Jesus, His humanity, and His Kingdom as reminders that miracles can happen through extraordinary interventions by God. However, Pope Leo highlighted, “more often they are entrusted to us, to our compassion, our attention, our wisdom, and the responsibility of our communities and institutions.”
He noted how we are all also called to foster, in all areas—and, today, particularly in prisons—a society rooted in new values, with a strong focus on compassion.
For this reason, the Holy Father pointed out how Pope Francis wanted this Holy Year to offer “forms of amnesty or remission of penalties might be granted to help people regain trust in themselves and in society”.
We are never alone
The day’s Gospel touched on the biblical origin of the Jubilee—a year of grace where everyone was given the chance to start fresh. The passage reflected on St. John the Baptist, who encouraged people to convert and be baptized. He was frank and upright, but also merciful and understanding.
Pope Leo acknowledged the difficult task God entrusts to both inmates and those responsible for prisons. He pointed out the numerous problems they are called to address: “overcrowding, the still insufficient commitment to ensuring stable educational programs for rehabilitation, and work opportunities.”
Yet, on a deeper level, there are also issues of working through the weight of the past, wounds to be healed, disappointments, the patience required with oneself to achieve these steps, and the temptation to give up. While these challenges might feel overwhelming and difficult, God offers encouragement in the Scriptures. He repeats “that no one be lost” and that all “may be saved”.
“This is what our God desires, this is His Kingdom, and this is what His work in the world aims for”, the Holy Father stressed.
With Christmas drawing near, Pope Leo invited everyone to work toward this dream, reminding them that, even in the greatest difficulties, “we are not alone: the Lord is near, He walks with us, and with Him by our side, something beautiful and joyful will always happen.”
