By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The story of the birth of Christ as the poor son of a carpenter should inspire hope that all people can make an impact in the world, Pope Francis said as the pope on Tuesday led the world's Roman Catholics to Christmas.
Pope Francis, who is celebrating the 12th birthday of his papacy, presided over a solemn Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and inaugurated the Catholic Holy Year 2025, which the Vatican expects will bring about 32 million tourists to Rome next year.
In a sermon that focused on the virtue of hope, which is also the theme of the Holy Year, the Pope said that hope “is a call not to slow down, fall back on our old habits, or indulge in mediocrity or laziness.”
“Hope invites us…to be disturbed by the things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them,” he said.
The Catholic Holy Year, also known as the Jubilee, is a time of peace, forgiveness and forgiveness. It usually occurs every 25 years. Pilgrims coming to Rome during the year can receive special absolution or forgiveness of their sins. This jubilee will last until January 6, 2026.
At the beginning of Tuesday's ceremony, Francis oversaw the opening of the special bronze-covered “Holy Door” in St. Peter's Basilica, which is only open during jubilee years. The Vatican expects up to 100,000 pilgrims to enter the door every day next year.
At a papal Mass attended by thousands in St. Peter's Basilica and thousands more watching on screens in the square outside, the pope also repeated an earlier call for developed countries to use the jubilee to ease the debt burden faced by low-income countries.
“The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and obliges us to change our world,” the Pope said. “A time of jubilee for the unfairly indebted poor countries; a time of jubilee for all those who are enslaved by old and new forms of slavery.”
The call for direct debt cancellation, launched by the late Pope John Paul II during the Jubilee Year in 2000, sparked a campaign that resulted in $130 billion worth of debt being canceled between 2000 and 2015.
Francis, who turned 88 this month, is suffering from what the Vatican described as a cold. He appeared in good condition on Tuesday evening, although his voice was a bit raspy.
On Wednesday, the Pope will deliver his Christmas message and blessing, “Orbi e Orbi” (to the city and the world).
