Pope Francis made a visit on Thursday to one of the largest prison complexes in Italy, opening a special "Holy Door" for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, in what the Vatican said was the first such action by a Catholic pontiff.

The pope opened the Jubilee Holy Doors praying that the Holy Spirit would soften hearts so that "enemies may speak to each other again."

Pope Francis on Tuesday opened the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, marking the official beginning of the Jubilee year of the Catholic Church. In a Christmas Eve ceremony rich with symbolism,

On his wheelchair, Pope Francis began the celebration of Christmas by opening the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, kicking off the 2025 Holy Year. “The steps we now take are the steps of the whole church,” the pope said.

Pope Francis has opened a "Holy Door" for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year at a prison in Rome, bringing a message of hope to inmates and involving them in the Catholic Church's once-every-quarter-century celebration that is expected to bring about 32 million pilgrims to the city.

New renovations and AI-powered digital tours offer visitors a chance to see the historic site ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year.

Pope Francis will celebrate the Vatican's traditional Christmas Eve midnight mass in a newly restored St. Peter's Basilica. It's one of a series of projects in Rome as the city prepares to usher in the Catholic Jubilee.