Half a million pilgrims have crossed holy door in St Peter’s, Vatican claims

ROME – On Tuesday the Vatican claimed that after just two weeks since Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee of Hope on Christmas Eve, over half a million pilgrims have already come to participate in the event.

According to a Jan. 7 press release from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, which is overseeing the organization of the jubilee, since Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s on Dec. 24, some 545,532 pilgrims from all over the world have already crossed through it.

“Hundreds of groups of faithful have already made their pilgrimage, starting from the new Piazza Pia, with the jubilee cross above their heads, and moving in prayer along the Via della Conciliazione, until reaching the basilica,” the press release said, referring to the special pilgrim-path along the main street leading up to St. Peter’s Basilica.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the official in charge of organizing the jubilee, called the numbers thus far “a very significant beginning, with a large turnout of people.”

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“The groups that crowd the Via della Conciliazione are giving an important witness, and this is also a sign of the great perception of security and protection that the pilgrims experience in the city of Rome and in the vicinity of the four papal basilicas,” Fisichella said.

There are a total of four basilicas in Rome with papal status, each of which has its own Holy Door for jubilee years, including St. Peter’s in the Vatican; Saint John Lateran, Saint Mary Major, and Saint Paul Outside the Wall.

Holding the official theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” the jubilee is a “Holy Year” that occurs every 25 years in the Catholic Church.

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The first-ever Holy Year was established by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 and was celebrated every 100 years, however, later, following biblical tradition, it was observed every 50 years. It was finally decided by Pope Paul II in 1490 to observe the jubilee year every 25 years, so that each person could experience one in their lifetime.

Intended to be a time of conversion and increased emphasis on God’s mercy and forgiveness of sins, jubilees are characterized by the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, and in each of the other papal basilicas in Rome.

The Holy Doors, present in each of the four papal basilicas in Rome, are destination points for pilgrims who travel to Rome during the Jubilee and who pass through seeking special graces and outpourings of God’s mercy.

The last Ordinary Jubilee was the Great Jubilee of 2000, celebrated by Pope John Paul II.

A new custom of calling “extraordinary” jubilees, meaning outside of the 25-year rotation, and which can last a few days to a few months, began in the 16th century. There have only been a handful of extraordinary jubilees since, the latest being the 2015-2016 Jubilee of Mercy called by Pope Francis.

The Holy Year of 2025 is the 27th ordinary jubilee year of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee of Hope Dec. 24, and he will close it on Jan. 6, the Catholic feast of the Epiphany, in 2026.

In their Jan. 7 press release, the Dicastery for Evangelization underlined the priority being given to security around the Vatican for the jubilee, saying the Holy See is in “close collaboration” with Italian security forces and with the Diocese of Rome to keep everyone safe.

Ahead of the jubilee, it was predicted that some 38 million pilgrims would flock to Rome for the holy year events, which include special celebratory events for various groups of people and individuals, as well as the canonization of highly revered saints-to-be, including Blessed Piero Giorgio Frassatti and Blessed Carlo Acutis.

Given the high number of pilgrims who have already come to Rome for the jubilee, the number of pilgrims who come throughout the rest of the year is expected to increase, the dicastery said.

“Of course, in these first two weeks there have been some difficulties in managing the flows that need to be evaluated over time, but the dicastery is working tirelessly to ensure that pilgrims receive a welcome and an experience that lives up to their expectations,” Fisichella said.

The dicastery said countless groups from across the world are preparing to come to Rome for jubilee events in the coming months, including groups and individuals who wish to pass through all four Holy Doors in the four papal basilicas, which each drew large crowds for the opening of their Holy Doors during the holiday season.

For those who wish to pass through all four, the dicastery said pilgrims can make reservations on the official jubilee website.

The first major jubilee event following the official inauguration and opening of the four Holy Doors will be the Jan. 24-26 Jubilee of the world of Communication, for which thousands of journalists from various networks around the world are expected to come.

Follow Elise Ann Allen on X: @eliseannallen