Walking Through the Holy Doors: My Pilgrimage During the 2025 Jubilee Year

Scriptural Basis for Jubilee Years

One aspect of being Catholic that is often not discussed, as it comes up usually a few times in a person’s lifetime, is the observation of Holy Years of Jubilee. Beyond the weekly, monthly, and annual cycle that we know well as Catholics, there is the Jubilee cycle that comes less frequently. The website FishEaters does a good job introducing the origin of Jubilee Years:

In the Old Covenant, God set aside certain times to be honored as sacred. As recorded by Moses in Exodus 20:8-11, there was to be a weekly "Sabbath" -- which means "cease" or "rest." In Deuteronomy 16:16-17, Moses records God's commands to our spiritual ancestors to keep the yearly Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. In addition to these weekly and yearly cycles of time, God also ordered periodic year-long sabbaths. These "sabbatical years" were of two types: the regular sabbatical year which was to take place every 7th year, and the special year of Jubilee, which took place after "seven weeks of seven years," or after 49 years -- that is, in every 50th year. All told, then, every 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th, 42nd, 49th, and 50th years would be sabbath years, with two years in a row -- the 49th year and the 50th year of jubilee -- being such. The word "jubilee" is a Hebrew word which etymologically indicates the ram's horn -- "jobel" (also "shofar") -- that God ordained should announce these special sabbatical years in Leviticus 25:1-13

The Church has accordingly adopted this practice and continued it, since our Lord Himself said He came not to abolish the Old Law but to perfect it. We see this in many different aspects of the Old Testament such as the ritualistic observances in worship and even the vestments.

The Holy Years

Writing for the National Catholic Register, Father Raymond de Souza writes:

There will be a holy year in 2025, keeping the tradition of holy years every quarter-century. The last holy year was the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016; before that there was the “ordinary” holy year of 2000, styled the “Great Jubilee.” The previous ordinary Holy Year was in 1975.

But in the last century we have seen more Holy Years, in addition to Jubilee Years, as Father De Souza notes:

In 1933, Pope Pius XI called an extraordinary jubilee year for the 1,900th anniversary of the redemption…The idea of “special years” has become a key pastoral tool in the last century. The tradition of holy years began in 1300, with invitations for Catholics to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Eventually the interval between holy years was shortened from 100 to 25 years, so that everyone might (theoretically) have a chance to complete a holy year pilgrimage during his lifetime.

Special holy years were issued in 1954 (Marian Year), 1967 (Year of Faith), 1983 (Jubilee of Redemption), 1988 (2,000th Anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Birth), 2002 (Year of the Rosary), and 2004 (Year of the Eucharist). Closer to our own time Pope Benedict XVI observed three such years throughout his pontificate: The Year of St. Paul, the Year for Priests, and the Year of Faith. In 2015 Pope Francis called an extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy and followed in 2019 with the Year of Our Lady of Loretto and in 2020 with the Year of St. Joseph.

The Holy Doors (Portae Sanctae)

Jubilee Years in particular are special as they are opportunities for us to invoke the mercy of God in a special way and come to Rome on pilgrimage to enter the Holy Doors which are only ever open in Jubilee Years. FishEaters elaborates on that:

The Sacrament of Confession can be likened to God's granting to us what He commanded to Moses: "remission to all the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee." In these holy years, penance is key (a General Confession in Jubilee Years is recommended by Pope Benedict XIV). 

In addition to the special emphasis on the alleviation of the eternal effects of sin through the Sacrament of Confession, the temporal effects of sin are a focus of Jubilee Years, too. A plenary indulgence can be gained, under the usual conditions, by making a pilgrimage to the four primary patriarchal churches in Rome and walking through their Holy Doors (portae sanctae), which are symbolic of Christ. This is the standard requirement for the Jubilee indulgence, but the exact requirements (published when the Jubilee is announced) may vary from Jubilee to Jubilee and usually include provisions for visiting local churches, doing charitable works, or fasting, etc.

The Holy Doors are present in the four major Basilicas of Rome. In the past few years, some additional Holy Doors were established by the Holy See. To see the opening of the Doors, or to walk through them during the Holy Year, is an experience that one will not forget. The Holy Jubilee of 1950 was documented by Life Magazine and with the advent of television, most Catholics had their first opportunity to ever see the ceremony of their opening.

 

My Experience of the Jubilee Pilgrimage

This year I had the privilege of personally taking part in the Jubilee. A Jubilee Year is not just a theological concept or a historical tradition, but a lived reality for those who make the journey. Walking through the Holy Doors of the four major basilicas of Rome was a moment of profound grace and awe. The prayers, confessions, and indulgences connected with the Jubilee all came alive when I was physically present in the Eternal City, following the same path that countless pilgrims have walked for centuries.

During this Jubilee pilgrimage, I was blessed to walk through all the Holy Doors of the four Major Basilicas, each one a profound reminder of Christ as the true gate of salvation. I prayed at the tomb of St. Lawrence, venerated the relics of the saints—including the foot of St. Mary Magdalene, the True Cross, and even the Crib of Bethlehem—and gazed upon the breathtaking Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Each day I was able to assist at the Traditional Latin Mass, uniting my prayers with countless pilgrims across the centuries. On a lighter note, I even mailed a letter to the Holy Father, savored the incomparable cuisine of Rome, and managed to log over 30,000 steps daily in the sweltering summer heat—a reminder that pilgrimage is both a spiritual and physical journey.

The Church reminds us that these years are not meant simply as a commemoration, but as a true call to conversion and renewal. That truth was something I felt tangibly as I entered each basilica, joined the faithful from every nation, and reflected on the mercy of God poured out so abundantly in these extraordinary times.

In this article, I have included several of my own photographs from the pilgrimage. They capture not only the grandeur of the basilicas and the Holy Doors but also the spirit of joy and prayer that filled the streets of Rome. These images, I hope, convey some of the sense of sacredness and unity that a Jubilee offers to the universal Church.

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Pilgrimage to Rome: Part VII: Final Part

In this, the final installment highlighting my recent pilgrimage to Rome, I share some final sites: Florence Italy (so not in Rome), the Vatican Museum, and Castle de San Angelo.

Santa Maria in Portico

This church contains the body of St. John Leonardi.  Pray for us!

Castle d San Angelo

Castle d San Angelo, formerly known as Hadrian's Mausoleum, was built to house the remains of Emperor Hadrian.  The fortress was used as a safeplace during Christian times for the Pope and this is also the site of a famous apparition by St. Michael the Archangel.

Florence

While this series of posts is on my recent trip to Rome, I could not pass up the chance to take a high speed train from Rome's Termini station up to Florence.  Florence is so far the most beautiful city I have ever been to, and I would highly encourage everyone to visit this city in their lifetime.  It is truly a masterpiece.

These photos are of the Institute of Christ the King's Church in Florence.  Photos taken on Holy Saturday:

 These photos are of the Cathedral (Duomo) as well as the Baptistry:

These photos are of the sacred objects in the Duomo's musuem, which has one of the greatest collections of religious artifacts in the world.  This is a MUST see.

A view of the ceiling in the baptistry:

The Duomo as seen from climbing up the bell tower

The Vatican Museum

And the grand finale - the Vatican Musuem.  There is no greater museum in the world.  If I were to post all of the images that I had, I would be unable to do.  This is just a small piece of the Vatican Museum.

Conclusion

Thank you for everyone who prayed for me to have a safe and prayerful journey.  I prayed for all of you while visiting these holy sites and I look forward to again returning to this truly amazing city - the center of the Church and of the world.  Thank you immensely for your support and interest in my journey.  I hope to continue visiting more holy sites and sharing them with all of you.

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Pilgrimage to Rome: Part VI

During the Sacred Triduum, I attended Mass at Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims (Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini), the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter's Church in Rome.  Here are some of the photos from there.  Most incredibly, they prayed the Old Rite for Holy Saturday that included all 12 readings and the use of the hastam, the three-pronged candle.  This is very rare indeed.

Also, especially rewarding was my visit to Santa Maria Minerva, the Dominican Church in Rome that houses the relic of St. Catherine of Siena, the patroness of the Order.  Her body is preserved right under the high altar (although her skull is said to be in Siena).  The Church also has the bodies of several Popes as well as Blessed Fra Angelico.  Outside of the Church (which is spectacular on the inside but lacking in much outward glory) is the Elephant Obelisk.  This was one of my favorite stops on my journey.

Next, here is the Church of St. Peter's Chains.  Besides containing the precious chains that St. Peter was imprisoned with, it contains Michelangelo's breathtaking statue of Moses. 

And the final basilica in this installment is the Church of St. Prassede.  This small church located near St. Mary Major contains the Pillar to which our Blessed Lord was tied and scourged.  Kyrie eleison!

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Pilgrimage to Rome: Part V

This is my fifth installment sharing the experiences I gained in my pilgrimage to Rome this year.  I hope you are enjoying these posts and that it is worth the time to post these images.  Please post a quick comment if you are enjoying these so I know that it is worth continuing.

This 5th installment features a number of different churches in Rome.

The first place of pilgrimage in this edition of my Pilgrimage to Rome post series is the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. This Church is the French Church in Rome.  The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to St. Denis the Areopagite and St. Louis IX, king of France.  The church's most famous treasure is Caravaggio's works on the life of St. Matthew. This include the three world-renowned canvases of The Calling of St Matthew (on the left wall), The Inspiration of Saint Matthew (above the altar), The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (on the right wall).

Next is the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, which was built in the 8th Century.  The church offers the Greek-Melkite Rite.  On the outside of the Church is the famous La Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth), but equally important inside is the skull of St Valentine.

Santa Maria in Traspontina features beautiful one chapel inside which contains the two columns to which Peter and Paul were said to have been bound prior to their martyrdom in the circus of Nero nearby.  This is a Carmelite Church, as can be seen by the Devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome.  The basic floor plan dates back to the 340s, and the first sanctuary was built by Pope Callixtus I in 221.  The Church has many important mosaics.

Church of St. Agnes (Sant'Agnese in Agone) is a massive structure from the outside and inside has some of the most beautiful ceiling work I have seen in my travels.  The Church features the important relic of the young virgin martyr, St. Agnes - it contains her skull.

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