Christmas Eve Mass: Child from Wels Opened Holy Door with Pope Francis

The eight-year-old girl Ludovica-Lavinia Piccioni from Wels was among the ten children who accompanied Pope Francis and, in the presence of their parents, were the first to go through the "Holy Door", which is usually closed and only opened on special occasions.

Opening of "Holy Door" at the Start of the Holy Year 2025

Ludovica was dressed in an Upper Austrian dirndl, as were the other participating children from all over the world in their national costumes. The girl, offspring of an emigrant family living in Rome, is currently preparing for her first communion in the German-speaking parish of Santa Maria dell'Anima in the spring. "When the invitation came, we didn't hesitate for a second - because such an opportunity never comes again," Ludovica's parents told Kathpress.

The opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica - one of a total of four such church entrances in Rome - marks the beginning of the Holy Year 2025, with which the Church celebrates the anniversary of another quarter century since the birth of Christ. For the Catholic festival year, which lasts until January 6, 2026, the city of Rome is expecting over 30 million visitors from all over the world. The mega-event "Giubileo" (Jubilee) with its many ecclesiastical, cultural and social events and initiatives - many of them with papal participation - is under the motto "Pilgrims of Hope". The Vatican's event calendar already lists hundreds of offers.

Complete Indulgence When Passing Through the Holy Door

Passing through the Holy Door, which also exists in the other Papal Basilicas of Rome such as Santa Maria Maggiore, St. John in the Lateran and St. Paul outside the Walls, brings the faithful, according to church teaching, a "complete indulgence". This is understood to mean the experience of God's special kindness, which frees from temporal penalties of sin - the effects of sin that remain even after confession. Anyone who strives for an indulgence and fulfills prescribed conditions such as valid confession, Eucharist and certain prayers, can therefore be sure of God's indulgence and hope for strength for a new beginning.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.