Pope Francis dies during Jubilee, leaving Holy Door open in papal first

Pope Francis dies during Jubilee, leaving Holy Door open in papal first

With his death April 21, Pope Francis marked yet another first in the history of the Catholic Church: he became the first pope to open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica without living to close it. Among his last gestures as pope, he left the door to the world's largest church wide open.

Pope Francis' death marks historic moment as Holy Door stays open

The pope opened the Holy Door Dec. 24, 2024, marking the beginning of the Holy Year 2025, a tradition normally celebrated in the church every 25 years as a time of spiritual renewal and pilgrimage. His death four months later means the Holy Door will be sealed by his successor — an unprecedented moment in the modern history of Jubilee celebrations. Only once before had a Jubilee begun under one pope and concluded by another. In 1700, Pope Innoce…

Vatican City, Dec. 21 (askanews) - On December 24, the solemn celebration in the Vatican was held in the Vatican for the opening of the Holy Door and the start of the Jubilee. In St. Peter's Basilica. Pope Francis had attended the service in the Vatican Basilica in a wheelchair to officially kick off the Ordinary Holy Year of Hope. An image of strength and fragility together. The pontiff had arrived at the Basilica at 19 and had pronounced the f…