Jubilee 2025: The Opening of the Holy Door

24 December 2024 Pope Francis will open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, officially kicking off the Jubilee 2025, a significant event for millions of faithful around the world. The tradition of the Holy Door has ancient origins dating back to the 13th century. The first Holy Year was called by Pope Boniface VIII, the very one mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy, in 1300, but the rite of the opening of the Holy Door as we know it today was instituted in 1423 by Pope Martin V.

The rite of the opening of the Holy Door follows a centuries-old tradition: The current rite that has been established over the centuries involves the Pope knocking on the door three times with a silver hammer. The door is then freed from the seals and bricks that closed it and the Pope is the first to cross the threshold, followed by the cardinals and the faithful.

The ceremonial opening has evolved over time: today, the ceremony combines tradition and modernity, with live streaming worldwide. Originally, the door was opened with violent blows that caused the bricks to fall and only in the 15th century was the ritual of three symbolic blows introduced.

Over the centuries, the opening of the Holy Door has been enriched with symbolic meanings:

The hammer used by the Pope represents the authority of Christ

The three blows symbolise the Trinity

The removal of the masonry represents the removal of obstacles to the spiritual path

The aromatic herbs inserted in the mortar recall the scent of Christian virtues

The Holy Year represents the highest form of hospitality that the city of Rome is able to offer its visitors, a year in which millions of believers will be welcomed in a great embrace, one of those gestures that only Rome knows how to make. History, tradition, faith and beauty, enclosed in a unique event.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)