Visit without a wheelchair

Rome: Pope opens Holy Door in prison

The date was the express wish of the Pope, who has already visited numerous prisons during his time in office.

(Bild: AFP)

On St. Stephen's Day, Pope Francis appeared to be a changed man as he completed another appointment in the midst of the demanding Christmas program. While he appeared exhausted and "weakened" on December 25, the pontiff visibly came alive in the midst of prison inmates.

The singing a little off-key, the clothing rather casual, the Pope much livelier: on the second day of Christmas, Francis' true priorities were revealed when he visited Rebibbia prison. To mark the Catholic Jubilee Year 2025, he opened a so-called Holy Door in the Roman prison and then celebrated mass with inmates and prison police. 

Inmates personally greeted
After the service, he personally greeted the 300 people present and paid tribute to the art exhibition that inmates had created together with an artist for the Holy Year. He then described the prison as a basilica - like St. Peter's Basilica.

Video: Rare ritual: Pope opens the Holy Door

Visit at the request of the Pontiff
The appointment was the express wish of the Pope, who has already visited numerous prisons during his time in office. The opening of the gate at the prison church should be a sign of hope in order to regain self-confidence as well as the esteem and solidarity of society, according to the commemorative letter for the papal visit.

Pope without a wheelchair
The 88-year-old appeared relaxed, preached extemporaneously, opened the Holy Door standing up and walked through it on his own, supported only by his walking stick - without a wheelchair.

The Pope on his departure from prison.

(Bild: AP)

Pope Francis praying the Angelus

(Bild: AFP)

Picture taken at the opening of the Holy Door

(Bild: AFP)

The Pope wished the prisoners in Rebibbia a "great jubilee year" on the second day of Christmas: the grace of a jubilee is to open hearts to hope above all. "That is the message I want to give you - to everyone, including myself: Never lose hope!"

Historic gates for millions

There are four historic gates in Rome - the prison gate is not one of them. Francis only opened those in St. Peter's Basilica; the portals in St. John Lateran Basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul Outside the Walls will be opened by their respective landlords, the archpriests, in the coming days. Outside the Holy Years, the doors are walled up from the inside. Since Paul VI was almost hit by a falling piece of wall at the opening of the Jubilee in 1975, the bricks have been removed before the papal opening ceremony.

Holy Year opening with obstacles
It was a different story on Christmas Eve at the official opening of the Holy Year 2025. The Pope was noticeably weak due to the after-effects of a cold. In the draughty, cold vestibule of St. Peter's Basilica, he struggled for minutes with his robe in front of the three-and-a-half-metre-high door.

In front of the high-ranking guests from church and politics - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also present - he suddenly disappeared unannounced. A short time later, the head of the Catholic Church returned and prayed silently in front of the portal until it finally opened after he knocked several times. Helpers then pushed Francis in his wheelchair over the threshold into the basilica, where he celebrated Christmas mass.

The motto of the current jubilee year is "Pilgrims of Hope" - well over 30 million of them are expected in Rome by the end of the jubilee on January 6, 2026.