Pope shares Christmas message, marking the start of the Holy Year 2025 for Catholics around the world

Pilgrims lined up early Wednesday morning to walk through the main Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica, as Christmas marked the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that is expected to bring some 32 million Catholics to Rome.

Walking through the Holy Department is one of the ways the faithful can receive absolution, or forgiveness of sins during the Jubilee, a one-and-a-quarter century tradition that began in the 1300s. On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis knocked on the door and was the first. entering it, presenting the Jubilee of 2025 which he offered with hope.

Pilgrims pass through security checks before entering the Holy Door, amid fresh security fears following the massacre Attack on the Christmas market in Germany. Many pause to touch the door as they pass and make the sign of the cross as they enter the chapel dedicated to St. Peter, founder of the Roman Catholic Church.

Inside, the beauty of a newly restored St. Peter’s Basilica it was revealed after major renovation work was done in preparation for the Jubilee Year.

One of the most important restorations is this Bernini’s Baldachina canopy that sits high the tomb of Stremoving centuries of soil to reveal its gleaming gold finish. The Chairman of St. Peter, an important symbol of papal authority that dates back to 875 AD.

At noon local time, Francis delivered the usual speech “Urbi et Orbi” — the speech “To the City and the World” — focusing on the challenges the world is facing this year.

Speaking in the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica speaking to thousands of people in the square below, Reuters reported, the pope said: “May the sound of weapons be silenced because of the war that is engulfed in war.” Ukraine!”

He called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to “achieve a just and lasting peace” and end the war that has killed tens of thousands since the all-out invasion of Moscow more than two years ago. The conflict did not stop during the holiday, as Russia did what it called a a “massive strike” targeting energy resources in Ukraine on Christmas Day.

Pope Francis renewed his call for an end to fighting in the country Israel-Hamas warcalling u human tragedy in Gaza “very bad,” and called for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

In his message on Wednesday, the Pope said the Year of Jubilee should be a time for “everyone, and all peoples and nations … to be pilgrims of hope, silence the sound of weapons and overcome division.”

Christmas and Hanukkah go together, which is unusual

HanukkahThe eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, which begins this year on Christmas Day, has occurred only four times since 1900.

The juxtaposition of the calendar has inspired some religious leaders to host interfaith gatherings, such as the aa Chicanukah party held last week by several Jewish organizations in Houston, Texas, which brought together members of the city’s Latino and Jewish communities for latkes, the traditional potato cake eaten on Hanukkah. , topped with guacamole and salsa.

Although Hanukkah is meant to be a joyous, celebratory holiday, rabbis note that it is happening this year wars are escalating in the Middle East and fear is increasing because of the widespread incidents of hatred against people. The holidays overlap a lot because the Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles and does not agree with the Gregorian calendar, which places Christmas on Dec. 25. The last time Hanukkah started on Christmas Day was 2005.

Germany’s celebrations have been muted after the market attack

German festivals were darkened by a car attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday five people died, including a 9-year-old boy, and 200 people were injured. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also recorded his Christmas Day speech addressing the attack, saying “there is sadness, pain, fear and incomprehension about what happened in Magdeburg.” He urged Germans to “stand together” and that “hate and violence must not have the last word.”

A 50-year-old Saudi doctor who has been working in Germany since 2006 has been arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and wounding. X’s account of the suspect describes him as a former Muslim and is full of anti-Islamic content. He criticized the authorities for failing to fight the “Islamification of Germany” and expressed support for the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Reuters news agency contributed to the report.