Pope Francis Inaugurates Jubilee of Mercy
Wednesday, December 9th, 2015December 9, 2015
Pope Francis yesterday marked the beginning of the Jubilee of Mercy by opening the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The door usually is bricked over between Jubilees, holy years when the consequences for sinning are thought to be lessened or cancelled. The current Jubilee, which began on December 8 and will end Nov. 20, 2016, is dedicated to the themes of mercy and forgiveness. Its start coincided with the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, as well as the 50th anniversary of the end of Vatican Council II, a council of bishops that enacted progressive reforms in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Holy Door is the northern entrance at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It is bricked over and only opened for Jubilee years in Vatican City. Credit: © Alexander Mazurkevich, Shutterstock
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to mark the event, which followed a Roman Catholic Mass. Prominent attendees included Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and members of Belgium’s royal family. The event took place in an atmosphere of extra security, including a no-fly zone, in the wake of deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.
Opening the Holy Doors of Rome’s cathedrals during Jubilees has been a Roman Catholic tradition for hundreds of years. Passing through the doors gives a person an indulgence, a freeing from punishment for sin. Jubilee years historically have drawn many pilgrims to Rome. In 2015, Pope Francis introduced a new practice. Cathedrals and other places of worship outside Rome were allowed to designate Holy Doors so that more Catholics could participate in the Jubilee at home. During the December 8 Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis said of the Holy Door: “To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them.”
Since being elected pope in 2013, Francis has fostered the idea of a church that is less judgmental and more forgiving, open, and understanding. For the Jubilee, Francis planned to send specially chosen priests throughout the world as “missionaries of mercy” to forgive even serious sins ordinarily forgivable only by the Holy See (office of the pope). Francis also authorized parish priests to absolve (declare free from sin) women who have had an abortion, though the church still considers abortion a serious sin.
Jubilees have their origin in Jewish tradition from Biblical times. The Christian tradition of Jubilees dates back to 1300. The last Roman Catholic Jubilee was held in 2000.
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