Vatican City – Pope Francis opened the Catholic Holy Year this evening at Mass in St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican. This could attract tens of millions of believers to Rome, the agencies write. At noon on Wednesday, the Pope will deliver his Christmas message Urbi et orbi (To the City and the World).
The Pope began the Holy Year by opening and crossing the threshold of the Holy Gate in St. Peter’s Cathedral. The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church did so in a wheelchair. The holy year was dedicated to the theme of hope.
In his homily, the Pope called on the faithful to look for lost hope and “sow it among the sorrows of our time and our world”. “And there are many sorrows in our time – let’s think of wars, children being shelled, bombs falling on schools and hospitals,” said the Pope, who a few days ago spoke about children being shelled and bombed schools in connection with the situation in the Gaza Strip.
The Pope urged Catholics not to live a comfortable life, but to use the holy year for “spiritual renewal” and “transformation of the world”. During the sermon, the Pope mentioned “Mother Earth, which is being destroyed by the logic of profits”, “the poorest countries burdened with unjust debts” and also people who “are prisoners of old and new slavery”.
Holy years are an important date in the life of the Catholic Church. Parishes and other church organizations organize pilgrimages to Rome to a greater extent. It is expected that during the current holy year, up to 32 million Catholics could visit Rome, believing that by doing so they can receive the so-called forgiveness of sins.
The Holy Gate in St. Peter’s Basilica is closed outside holy years. Jubilee years usually begin with its opening. Other basilicas will also open their holy gates. This year, Pope Francis will also open one gate in Rome’s Rebibbia prison to express his closeness to the prisoners.
The Holy Year, with the arrival of a large number of visitors, represents an extraordinary burden for the Italian metropolis. The town hall and other authorities have had a number of construction projects and renovations carried out, by far not all of them have been completed to date.
The Catholic Church usually celebrates a Holy Year once every 25 years. However, the Pope can also declare extraordinary jubilee years. This happened, for example, in 2015, and the next holy year is scheduled for 2033, when Catholics will remember the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Vatican Pope Church Christmas PHOTO OPENER
Source: www.ceskenoviny.cz
