Pope Francis began his Holy Year at Rome’s main prison on Thursday with a message of hope for inmates. He included the prisoners in the Catholic Church’s once-in-25-year celebration. About 32 million pilgrims are expected to visit Rome during this festival.
Francis stood up from his wheelchair and knocked on the door of the chapel at Rebibia prison and walked across the threshold. He repeated the gesture he had made two nights earlier in St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve.
The Jubilee Year officially began with the opening of the Holy Door in the Basilica. This long-standing tradition of the Church now takes place every 25 years and involves people coming to Rome on pilgrimage.
“The first Holy Door I opened was in St. Peter’s at Christmas,” Francis told the prisoners before entering. I wanted the other one to be right here in jail.”
“I want each of us here, inside and out, to have the opportunity to open the doors of our hearts and understand that hope does not disappoint,” he said.
