PHOTOS: Holy Door opens at Rome’s Marian marvel as new cardinal highlights hope at St. Mary Major
A Sister of the Missionaries of Charity touches the bronze Holy Door at the papal basilica during its opening for the 2025 Jubilee Year. The religious sister, wearing the distinctive white and blue habit of the order founded by Mother Teresa, joins other faithful in this traditional gesture of devotion as they pass through the ceremonial door on Jan. 1, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA CNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA). The pealing of a precious ancient bell marked a momentous beginning to the 2025 Jubilee Year at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, where Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas opened the Holy Door on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.The Lithuanian cardinal, elevated to the College of Cardinals in December 2024, presided over the ceremony at Rome’s preeminent Marian shrine, where the “Bell of the Lost” rang out across the Eternal City from atop the Esquiline Hill.Faithful gather at the flower-adorned Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on Jan. 1, 2025, as the jubilee year gets underway. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAIn his homily, Makrickas emphasized the bell’s spiritual significance, noting how it has called pilgrims to prayer since the Church’s first jubilee and continues to serve as a sonic symbol of Mary’s guidance, much like the “Star of the Sea” that illuminates the darkness.Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas blesses the congregation during the opening ceremony of the Holy Door at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA“Every pilgrim who crosses the threshold of the Holy Door of this first Marian shrine of the West during the jubilee year will pray before the icon of the Mother of God, Salus Populi Romani, and before the sacred crib of Jesus,” the cardinal said during his homily.Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, wearing Marian blue and cream vestments, delivers the homily during the Mass opening the Jubilee Year at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe papal basilica, also known as the “Bethlehem of the West,” houses both the venerated icon of Mary and relics of Christ’s crib. Makrickas highlighted how these sacred objects connect to Pope Francis’ document “Spes Non Confundit,” which announced the jubilee year.A pilgrim touches the bronze panels of the newly-opened Holy Door at St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025, continuing a centuries-old tradition of passing through the sacred portal during jubilee years. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAQuoting the papal bull, the cardinal reminded the faithful that pilgrims are especially invited to “make a prayer stop at the Marian shrines of the city to venerate the Virgin Mary and invoke her protection.”The faithful fill the ornate nave of the Basilica of St. Mary Major during the opening Mass of the jubilee year on Jan. 1, 2025, in Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe basilica’s location at the center of a star-shaped road network symbolically evokes the Star of Bethlehem, Makrickas noted, reflecting its 1,600-year mission to serve as “a bright star, at the service of the True Light, pointing to the Savior, true God and true man, born of the Virgin Mary.”An illuminated Nativity scene display stands before the baroque facade of the Basilica of St. Mary Major at night, with the church's iconic bell tower visible against the dark Roman sky, on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe cardinal concluded his homily by entrusting the jubilee year to the Mother of God, praying that she might lead all pilgrims to Jesus, “the fullness of time, of all time, of everyone’s time.”Daniel Ibáñez contributed to this report.
A Sister of the Missionaries of Charity touches the bronze Holy Door at the papal basilica during its opening for the 2025 Jubilee Year. The religious sister, wearing the distinctive white and blue habit of the order founded by Mother Teresa, joins other faithful in this traditional gesture of devotion as they pass through the ceremonial door on Jan. 1, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
CNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).
The pealing of a precious ancient bell marked a momentous beginning to the 2025 Jubilee Year at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, where Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas opened the Holy Door on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.The Lithuanian cardinal, elevated to the College of Cardinals in December 2024, presided over the ceremony at Rome’s preeminent Marian shrine, where the “Bell of the Lost” rang out across the Eternal City from atop the Esquiline Hill.Faithful gather at the flower-adorned Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on Jan. 1, 2025, as the jubilee year gets underway. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAIn his homily, Makrickas emphasized the bell’s spiritual significance, noting how it has called pilgrims to prayer since the Church’s first jubilee and continues to serve as a sonic symbol of Mary’s guidance, much like the “Star of the Sea” that illuminates the darkness.Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas blesses the congregation during the opening ceremony of the Holy Door at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA“Every pilgrim who crosses the threshold of the Holy Door of this first Marian shrine of the West during the jubilee year will pray before the icon of the Mother of God, Salus Populi Romani, and before the sacred crib of Jesus,” the cardinal said during his homily.Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, wearing Marian blue and cream vestments, delivers the homily during the Mass opening the Jubilee Year at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe papal basilica, also known as the “Bethlehem of the West,” houses both the venerated icon of Mary and relics of Christ’s crib. Makrickas highlighted how these sacred objects connect to Pope Francis’ document “Spes Non Confundit,” which announced the jubilee year.A pilgrim touches the bronze panels of the newly-opened Holy Door at St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025, continuing a centuries-old tradition of passing through the sacred portal during jubilee years. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAQuoting the papal bull, the cardinal reminded the faithful that pilgrims are especially invited to “make a prayer stop at the Marian shrines of the city to venerate the Virgin Mary and invoke her protection.”The faithful fill the ornate nave of the Basilica of St. Mary Major during the opening Mass of the jubilee year on Jan. 1, 2025, in Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe basilica’s location at the center of a star-shaped road network symbolically evokes the Star of Bethlehem, Makrickas noted, reflecting its 1,600-year mission to serve as “a bright star, at the service of the True Light, pointing to the Savior, true God and true man, born of the Virgin Mary.”An illuminated Nativity scene display stands before the baroque facade of the Basilica of St. Mary Major at night, with the church's iconic bell tower visible against the dark Roman sky, on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe cardinal concluded his homily by entrusting the jubilee year to the Mother of God, praying that she might lead all pilgrims to Jesus, “the fullness of time, of all time, of everyone’s time.”Daniel Ibáñez contributed to this report.
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