Leo XIV closes the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of the Holy Year 2025 in the Vatican / AP
Pope Leo The symbolic gesture capped a year that attracted more than 33 million pilgrims to Rome.
Under the gaze of cardinals and diplomatic representatives, Leo XIV knelt in prayer on the threshold of the Holy Door during Epiphany Mass before closing it. The anniversary was inaugurated in December 2024 by Pope Francis, already physically weakened, and included both his funeral and the subsequent conclave. Only once before, in 1700, had there been a change of pontiff in a Holy Year.
The closure also symbolized the end of a period in which the new pope’s personal agenda was in many ways sidelined. Lion
In his sermon, Leo explained
He criticized a “distorted economy” that turns everything into a commodity and reduces people to consumers, and called for the pilgrim to be recognized in visitors and neighbors abroad.
The message was amplified hours later from the basilica’s loggia in front of rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square. There the Pope recalled the anniversary tradition of promoting peace and a more equitable redistribution of resources. “Instead of inequality, justice should prevail and the war industry should be replaced by the art of peace,” he proclaimed.
RELIGIOUS AND URBAN IMPACT
For the Vatican, the anniversary is a centuries-old tradition that grants indulgences to believers who make pilgrimages to Rome and pass through the Holy Door. For the city, it represents an opportunity for public investment. In this edition, around 4 billion euros were allocated for infrastructure works, including a new pedestrian zone connecting Via della Conciliazione with Castel Sant’Angelo.
The Vatican estimated that more than 33 million people took part in the holy year, but acknowledged that the number was only indicative. With the closing of the Holy Door, Rome says goodbye to a historic anniversary and the Church is now heading towards the next anniversary, which has already been announced for 2033 and commemorates the death and resurrection of Christ.
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