Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis announced in November that from the Immaculate Conception (December 8, 2015) through the Feast of Christ the King (November 20, 2016) it would be a special Jubilee Year. The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is a Roman Catholic period of prayer to be celebrated around the world. It is a year of “forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin… a year of reconciliation between adversaries… a year of solidarity, hope, [and] justice…”
Bishops were asked to choose churches and sanctuaries in their diocese and open the Holy Door, that is the really big, middle door of the church usually only opened for sacraments such as marriage and death. In Sicily, the Holy Door of the Church of San Lorenzo (pictured) was opened on the Feast of Santa Lucia, December 13, 2015. So, all of us may walk through the Holy Door at the Church of San Lorenzo in Trapani: a very special opportunity.
Holy Doors of churches in Ragusa, Siracusa, Piazza Armerina, and Acireale are also open.
I’m not Catholic but I LOVE Pope Francis and all the things he has said and done so far. He is really weighing in on the things all of us need to be concerned with. We need this now more than ever before – “forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin… a year of reconciliation between adversaries… a year of solidarity, hope, [and] justice…” <3
Yes, I agree. We need such a year of solidarity. So much adversity for so many right now. We need to embrace those things encouraging peace and goodwill.