From Dec. 24, when the pope inaugurated the Holy Year, to Jan. 7, the Vatican said, 545,532 people from around the world have made the journey along the lengthy boulevard leading to St. Peter's Square and crossed through the basilica's Holy Door.
Marking the feast of the Holy Family Dec. 29, Francis reflected on the day's Gospel reading from St. Luke in which the 12-year-old Jesus goes missing from his parents and is found in the temple of Jerusalem.
"I wanted the second Holy Door to be the one here, at a prison," Francis told the inmates. "I wanted all of us, inside or out, to have an opportunity to throw open the doors of our hearts and understand that hope does not disappoint."
Pope Francis appealed for negotiations to end Russia's ongoing invasion in Ukraine and for a ceasefire in the war-ravaged Middle East during his annual Christmas Day message.
Pope Francis on Christmas Eve formally inaugurated the 2025 Holy Year, reviving an ancient church tradition encouraging the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome. What that means and what it will look like is addressed in this AP explainer.
Pope Francis on Dec. 24 officially launched the Vatican's 2025 Jubilee Year, encouraging Christians to use the milestone occasion to dream of a "new world where peace and justice reign."
