The Holy Door of St. Mary Major, the Basilica of the Holy Nativity, which preserves the relics of the Holy Crib where the newborn infant Jesus was laid.With the closing of the Holy Door of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome, the Vatican began on December 25 the gradual conclusion of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope convened by the Church.
The rite was presided over by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the Marian basilica, who emphasized that “it is not divine grace that is being closed but a special time for the Church, and what remains open forever is the merciful heart of God.”
St. Mary Major was the first of the four papal basilicas in Rome to close its Holy Door. On December 27, the Holy Door of St. John Lateran was closed by Cardinal Baldassare Reina; on Sunday, December 28, that of St. Paul Outside the Walls by Cardinal James Michael Harvey; and finally, on Tuesday, January 6, the solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Leo XIV will close the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, officially concluding the jubilee.
During his homily, Cardinal Makrickas noted that the 2025 Jubilee has been a unique event in the recent history of the Church, having unfolded under two pontificates.
“It has been a true testament to the life of the Church, which is never interrupted. The Lord does not abandon his Church, and today he firmly guides her through Pope Leo XIV,” he said.
Referring to the liturgy of the day, the cardinal explained that the readings proclaimed are “three great doors that always remain open”: the call of the prophet Isaiah to be messengers of peace, the invitation from the Letter to the Hebrews to listen to the Son, and the testimony of the Gospel of St. John about the light that shines in the midst of the darkness.
Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas closes the Holy Door at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome on December 25.“Today we have seen the Holy Door close, but the door that truly matters is the door of the heart,” Cardinal Makrickas pointed out, encouraging the faithful to open it by listening to the word of God, welcoming their neighbor, and offering forgiveness.
“Having crossed the Holy Door was a gift; now becoming doors open to others is our mission,” he added.
In the final part of his message, the archpriest of St. Mary Major recalled a central teaching of Pope Leo XIV during this holy year: that Christian hope “is not evasion but decision,” a hope that translates into concrete love, even in the midst of difficulties, and that inspires believers to give their lives for others.
(Vatican Media photo.)
By Marco Mancini, Catholic News Agency
