Pope Francis visited one of Italy’s largest prisons on Thursday, December 26.
As per Reuters, during his visit, he opened a “Holy Door” as part of preparations for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year.
The Vatican emphasised that this was the first time a Catholic pope had performed such an act.
Francis, while speaking to those at the Rebibbia prison, explained that his reason for opening the “Holy Door” at the prison chapel was to offer a message of hope, emphasizing that “hope does not disappoint.”
This gesture is meant to encourage and inspire the people there, especially those who feel hopeless.
Speaking at the noon Angelus service, the pope described prison as a kind of “cathedral of pain and hope,” as per The Guardian.
Francis said, “I like to think of hope as the anchor that is on the shore and, with the rope, we are safe. Do not lose hope: this is the message I want to give you, to give all of us … because hope never disappoints.
The pontiff further shared, “In bad moments, we can all think that everything is over. Do not lose hope. This is the message I wanted to give you. Do not lose hope.”
Francis started the Catholic Holy Year, also called a Jubilee on Tuesday.
A Catholic Jubilee is a special time dedicated to peace, forgiveness and pardon.
