Opening the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, Pope Francis inaugurates a jubilee year expected to draw 32 million visitors to Rome.

To the faithful who go on pilgrimage to Rome, the Pope grants a special 'indulgence' or remission of their sins. View on euronews

Pope Francis will mark Christmas Eve on Tuesday with a special ceremony launching Jubilee 2025, a year of Catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome. After opening the door,

The first Holy Year was called in 1300, and in recent times they are generally celebrated every 25 to 50 years. Pilgrims who participate can obtain “indulgences” — the centuries-old feature of the Catholic Church related to the forgiveness of sins that roughly amounts to a “get out of Purgatory free” card.

Over 35 million pilgrims are expected to visit Rome in 2025 seeking forgiveness of sins and a chance to see the pope.

Pope Francis, who has just turned 88 and has been suffering from a heavy cold, will lead the regular Sunday Angelus prayer from inside his residence as a precaution, the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday.

Francis urged the Vatican inner circle to bless more and talk less badly of others. It wasn’t the first time he had used the occasion to scold them.

The rite of opening the Holy Doors of the main basilicas of Rome to inaugurate the 2025 Jubilee Year is perhaps one of the most solemn events of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis has told Vatican bureaucrats to stop speaking ill of one another. ROME (AP) — Pope Francis told Vatican bureaucrats on Saturday to stop speaking ill of one another, as he once again used his annual Christmas greetings to admonish the backstabbing and gossiping among his closest collaborators.

U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Rome in January to meet with Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the White House said on Thursday of a trip that will take place shortly before Biden's term in office ends.

Pope Francis is set to open the Holy Year of the Catholic Church in St Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday evening. The 88-year-old pontiff in a solemn ceremony

The Holy Father recalled the popularity of the sport in rural villages in the past and its tendency to help foster a sense of community.