The fifth and final Holy Door of the Jubilee of Hope 2025 was opened by Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. The ceremony took place in the presence of concelebrating priests and faithful, who then participated in a Holy Mass. Cardinal Harvey emphasized the significance of the Holy Door, symbolizing the threshold of hope that leads to a time of mercy and forgiveness.
The cardinal’s homily highlighted the joy and hope that characterize the Christmas season, as well as the gift of redemption in Jesus Christ. He explained that the Child Jesus came into the world to communicate his filial life and lead humanity into an intimate relationship with God. Cardinal Harvey also stressed that the opening of the Holy Door marks the salvific passage opened by Christ, calling all members of the Church to reconcile themselves with God and with their neighbor.
In his homily, Cardinal Harvey also referenced Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi, which speaks of hope as a virtue that offers an original perspective on the relationship between the present and the future. The cardinal emphasized that hope is not an empty word, but a certainty based on God’s fidelity to his promises. With Christ, Cardinal Harvey said, the dark door of time has been thrown wide open, and those who have hope live differently, having been given a new life.
The Holy Doors of the Jubilee 2025, which were opened in the basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major, and St. Peter’s Basilica, will be closed on different dates, with the final closure taking place on 6 January 2026, the Epiphany of the Lord.