On December 26, 2024, on the feast of St. Stephen, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at the Rebibbia prison in Rome, which will be a historic moment in the history of ordinary jubilees. For the first time, in addition to the traditionally opened Holy Doors in four papal basilicas in Rome, one will also be opened in a prison. This announcement was made by the Pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, His Excellency Monsignor Rino Fisichella, during a press conference on October 28. The Pro-prefect emphasized that Rebibbia will be, on December 26, “a symbol of all prisons in the world.”
This extraordinary step was strongly supported by the Holy Father himself, who stressed the importance of caring for prisoners and their reintegration into society also in the letter for the Jubilee 2025 entitled Spes non Confundit. “In the jubilee year, we will be called to be tangible signs of hope for many brothers and sisters who live in conditions of need. I think of prisoners who, deprived of freedom, experience not only the harshness of imprisonment every day but also emotional emptiness, imposed limitations, and in many cases a lack of respect. I propose to governments that in the jubilee year they take initiatives that would restore hope, forms of amnesty or the forgiveness of sentences, aimed at helping people regain trust in themselves and in society, as well as pathways of reintegration into the community that would correspond to a specific commitment to obey the law,” wrote Pope Francis. He added: “To offer prisoners a specific sign of closeness, I myself want to open the Holy Door in the prison, so that it may be a symbol for them that encourages them to look to the future with hope and renewed determination to live.”
In addition to meeting the Pope's request for creating “pathways for reintegration into the community” for prisoners, Mons. Fisichella announced that on September 11, an agreement was signed between the Holy See, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, and extraordinary commissioner for the Jubilee Roberto Gualtieri to implement initiatives for the reintegration of prisoners through social engagement activities.
The opening of the Holy Door at Rebibbia will follow the official start of the Jubilee, which is scheduled for December 24 in St. Peter's Square, where Pope Francis will first lead the Eucharistic celebration at 7 PM and then the ritual of opening the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. This festive moment will be announced by a short concert of bells, which will celebrate the beginning of the year of grace for the whole world.
source: iubilaeum2025.va