ROME - Pope Francis has initiated the Christmas celebrations in Rome by opening the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica in anticipation of the 2025 Year of Jubilee. “The steps we now take are the steps of the whole church,” he said. Meanwhile, the Vatican issued a statement saying the 2025 jubilee “coincides with an anniversary which is significant for all Christians, the 1700th anniversary of the celebration of the first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea.”
“Entering through the Holy Door expresses the will to follow and be led by God’s Only-Begotten Son. It is a manifestation of the faith that all Christians share in Jesus, the Eternal Word made flesh,” the statement says. “While the Ordinary Jubilee is a celebration proper to the Catholic Church, the coincidence of the Jubilee with the anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council offers an opportunity to include brothers and sisters of other Churches and Christian Communions in its celebration,” it continues.
