Cardinal Harvey Opens Holy Door at Saint Paul Outside the Walls for Jubilee of Hope

Vatican City, January 5, 2025 - Cardinal James Harvey, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, opened the Holy Door of the basilica on Sunday, marking the final Holy Door to be opened as part of the Jubilee of Hope. The solemn ceremony, held on the eve of the Solemnity of the Epiphany, welcomed over 2,800 faithful who had gathered for the Eucharistic celebration and to embark on a spiritual journey in the footsteps of faith. The event, steeped in tradition and prayer, resonated with joy and hope, two central themes of the Jubilee Year 2025.

The rite began with the sounding of the horn and the recitation of the Psalmist's words: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!'" Then, Cardinal Harvey, accompanied by members of the monastic community of Saint Paul Outside the Walls and Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, approached the Holy Door adorned with bronze bas-reliefs depicting key moments from Saint Paul's life. He then opened the door, prompting a moment of prayerful silence from the gathered faithful. The Basilica bells were then rung, signaling the next steps of the ceremony.

As the Jubilee hymn played, Cardinal Harvey crossed the threshold of the Door. This was followed by a procession to the Altar of Confession. The Cardinal Archpriest, along with Archbishop Rino Fisichella, (who is also the organizer of the Jubilee), led the procession down the basilica’s nave. Members of the monastic community also participated in the procession. This was followed by the celebration of Holy Mass inside the Basilica.

In his homily, Cardinal Harvey reflected on the passage from the Gospel of John, where "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." He also highlighted the significance of opening the Holy Door, describing it as "an act that is as simple as it is evocative." He explained, "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 also emphasized the meanings of the two key words of the Holy Year: joy and hope. "Joy is because the Savior has been born while hope is because Christ is our hope", he said.

He continued by highlighting how "joy is the right sentiment for the gift of Redemption in Jesus Christ," which unites both the Church and the people of God in this present moment. The joy of the Christmas season, he noted, is 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 said, "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."

Cardinal Harvey explained that 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 also emphasized on the fact that the world is in dire need of hope today. "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", he said

In this address, Cardinal Harvey recalled Pope Francis' catechesis at a recent General Audience, in which the Holy Father 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, he continued, "should not be thought of as a passive virtue," a time when one "merely waits for things to happen." Instead, as Pope Francis emphasized, "hope is a supremely active virtue that helps to make things happen."

Cardinal Harvey concluded his homily by saying that the Jubilee of 2025, like every Holy Year, calls us to become pilgrims, which 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." He mentioned that the Church invites every pilgrim  "to undertake a spiritual journey in the footsteps of faith during this Jubilee Year." He also prayed saying, "May the Holy Spirit accompany our steps in this pilgrimage of faith, steadfast in the hope that does not disappoint."

The opening of the Holy Door at Saint Paul Outside the Walls follows similar rites at Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Basilicas of Saint John Lateran and Saint Mary Major, and Rome’s Rebibbia prison. This symbolic act invites pilgrims worldwide to participate in the Jubilee of Hope, a sacred journey celebrating the Church’s mission to proclaim Christ’s resurrection and foster unity.

Courtesy: Vatican News