Pilgrims walk through Vatican Holy Door

Pope Francis (centre) opens the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica. Pic/AFP

Pilgrims lined up early on Wednesday to walk through the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica, as Christmas marked the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that is expected to bring some 32 million Catholic faithful to Rome.

Traversing the Holy Door is one way that the faithful can obtain indulgences, or forgiveness for sins during a Jubilee, a once-every-quarter-century tradition that dates from 1300. On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis knocked on the door and was the first to walk through it, inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee that he dedicated to hope.

Pilgrims submitted to security controls before entering. Many paused to touch the door as they passed and made the sign of the cross upon entering the basilica dedicated to St. Peter, founder of the Roman Catholic Church.

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