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Pope Francis will open the Holy Year of the Catholic Church on Tuesday evening (7 p.m.) in St. Peter’s Basilica. In a solemn ceremony on Christmas Eve, the 88-year-old pontiff will open and pass through the Holy Door, which is otherwise walled up from the inside. A girl from Wels is one of ten children accompanying the Pope. The Catholic Church typically celebrates a Holy Year, also known as a Jubile Year, every 25 years.
According to Catholic understanding, believers can obtain an indulgence for their sins during a Holy Year through prayer and penance. This also includes the pilgrimage to Rome and passing through the Holy Doors in the Eternal City. More than 30 million pilgrims and visitors—some estimates put the figure as high as 45 million—are expected in the Italian capital during the major Catholic event.
Afterwards, Francis will celebrate the traditional Christmas mass and thus ring in the Christmas celebrations in the Vatican. During the services, the Pope is expected to speak out strongly against war and violence and recall humanity’s suffering. In Bethlehem—according to tradition, the birthplace of Jesus Christ—the celebrations are expected to be more subdued this year due to the war in Gaza.
- source: APA/picture: pixabay.com
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