Vatican Announces Rites for the Closing of the Holy Doors: A Historic Conclusion to the Jubilee of Hope

The Holy See has officially released the schedule and liturgical details for the closing of the Holy Doors in Rome’s four major Papal Basilicas, marking the final stage of the 2025 Holy Year. 

While every Jubilee is a season of grace, this "Jubilee of Hope" will be remembered by history as a rare "Jubilee of Two Popes"—a time of profound transition and a global outpouring of affection for the late Pope Francis.

The First Farewell: Santa Maria Maggiore

The ritual cycle begins at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which holds the distinction of being the first Holy Door to close on the evening of Christmas Day, December 25.

The choice of date is deeply symbolic. Known as the "Basilica of the Holy Nativity," it houses the relics of the Sacred Crib. By closing the door on the day of Christ's birth, the Church reminds the over 20 million pilgrims who walked through its bronze gates that the "foundation of faith" is God becoming man.

This closing carries a heavy emotional weight. Santa Maria Maggiore was the beloved home-away-from-home for Pope Francis, who visited the Salus Populi Romani icon over 100 times during his pontificate and chose this Basilica as his final resting place. 

Since his passing on April 21, 2025, the Jubilee pilgrimage has transformed into a "moving and lasting tribute" to his memory, with millions queuing not just for the indulgence, but to pray at his tomb.

Presided over by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas at 5:00 PM, the ceremony will be punctuated by the tolling of “La Sperduta” (The Lost One), the ancient bell that traditionally guides pilgrims home.

The Mother Church: San Giovanni in Laterano

On December 27, the focus shifts to the Cathedral of Rome, St. John Lateran. As the first Basilica in history to ever feature a Holy Door (dating back to 1423), its closing represents a return to the roots of the Jubilee tradition.

The current bronze door, a masterpiece by Floriano Bodini featuring the Mother and Child reaching toward the Cross, has been the primary destination for the local Church of Rome. 

Cardinal Baldo Reina, the Vicar General of Rome, will lead the 11:00 AM rite, honoring the thousands of Roman parishes that made this "Mother of all Churches" the heart of their spiritual journey this year.

St. Paul Outside the Walls: A Final Sunday of Grace

The weekend of closures concludes on  December 28, at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Cardinal J.M. Harvey will preside over the 10:00 AM Mass and the sealing of the door.

Unlike the other ceremonies requiring strict ticketing, the Basilica has invited the faithful to access the rite freely. It marks the end of a year where the "Great Apostle" saw millions of seekers come to find strength in their witness to the Gospel.

The Grand Finale: St. Peter’s Basilica

The definitive conclusion of the Holy Year takes place on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, January 6, 2026, with the closing of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica.

As the universal center of the Catholic world, the rite at St. Peter's will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV. While the other Basilicas close their doors in the days following Christmas, St. Peter's remains open the longest to welcome the final wave of international pilgrims. 

The sealing of this door is a moment of high ceremony; the bronze panels will be closed, and later, a wall of bricks will be reconstructed on the inside, containing a parchment deed and commemorative medals of the pontificate, this time bearing the names of two different Successors of Peter.

The Legacy of the "Jubilee of Two Popes"

The 2025 Jubilee will be recorded in the annals of the Church for its extraordinary circumstances. Indicted by Pope Francis with the Bull Spes non confundit, the Holy Year was opened by him on December 24, 2024, but will be concluded under the reign of Pope Leo XIV, elected on May 8, 2025.

This rare transition, mirrored only once before in the Jubilee of 1700, which began under Innocent XII and ended under Clement XI, has served as a powerful metaphor for the theme of Hope. While pontificates end and leaders pass, the "Door" which is Christ remains open to the world.

As the physical doors are bricked up until the next Ordinary Jubilee in 2050, the message from Rome remains: the path of conversion does not end here, but continues in the daily lives of the millions who returned home as "Pilgrims of Hope."