Marking the Holy Year of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis opened a Holy Door at a prison in Rome on Thursday, offering a message of hope and forgiveness to inmates.
“Do not lose hope, that is the message I want to give you,” the 88-year-old pontiff told the prisoners during the ceremony.
The opening of a Holy Door in a prison is a symbolic gesture. The pope is known for advocating for the forgiveness of convicted criminals and their reintegration into society.
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Arriving in a wheelchair, Francis paused for a moment of silence before rising with the help of a walking stick.
He approached the prison gate, knocked several times and helpers raised it from the inside.
The pontiff then crossed the threshold of the massive doorway, symbolising the passage into grace and reconciliation.
In spite of the appearing fatigued in recent public appearances, the pope seemed at ease during the prison visit, speaking informally and without prepared remarks to inmates and staff. After the service, he engaged personally with several attendees.
The event followed his opening of the Holy Year 2025 on Christmas Eve by ceremonially unsealing the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica.
The Catholic Church celebrates a jubilee every 25 years, during which believers who pass through the Holy Doors after penance and communion are granted indulgences or remission of sins.
This marks the first time in the Church’s history that a Holy Door had been opened in a prison, according to the news portal Vatican News. NAN