Originally published at National Catholic Register
Holy See and Italian authorities are collaborating to welcome an estimated 30 million people expected to come to Rome throughout the jubilee year.
More than half a million people have passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, two weeks after its Christmas Eve opening.
Pope Francis, the first “pilgrim of hope” to cross the Holy Door’s threshold, inaugurated the 2025 Jubilee Year by opening the papal basilica’s door on Dec. 24, 2024.
Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization Cardinal Rino Fisichella said the great number of pilgrims marks “a very significant beginning” for the Catholic Church’s holy year, which will conclude on Jan. 6, 2026.
“Hundreds of groups of faithful have already made their pilgrimage,” Cardinal Fisichella said in a Jan. 7 media statement released by the Dicastery for Evangelization.
“The dicastery is working tirelessly to ensure that pilgrims receive a welcome and an experience that lives up to their expectations,” he added.
Holy See and Italian authorities are collaborating to welcome an estimated 30 million people expected to come
