Archbishop Salvatore “Rino” Fisichella, pro prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, has confirmed that Pope Francis “will be in the Roman prison of Rebibbia to open the Holy Door, a tangible sign of the announcement of hope, also in that place, a symbol of all the prisons in the world”, on December 26.
At the press conference to present the cultural events scheduled in Rome before the official opening of the Jubilee, Bishop Fisichella explained that on December 24, Pope Francis will preside over the Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Square, after which He will perform the opening rite of the holy door of Jubilee 2025 and will be the first to cross it.
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This will be followed by a brief bell concert by the Pontifical Bell Foundry Marinelli as “expression of the joyful announcement of a long-awaited acknowledgment.”
To become a “pilgrim of hope”, the Pope will go to the Rebibbia prison the next day to fulfill the instructions contained in the bull. Hope does not disappoint to “be tangible signs of hope for so many brothers and sisters who live in conditions of hardship.”
In particular, the bull continues, thinking about “the prisoners who, deprived of liberty, experience every day, in addition to the harshness of imprisonment, the emotional void, the imposed restrictions and, in many cases, the lack of respect.”
In the document, Pope Francis proposed to governments “that in the Jubilee Year they undertake initiatives that restore hope” forms of amnesty or remission of sentences aimed at helping people regain confidence in themselves and in society; paths of reintegration into the community that are accompanied by a concrete commitment to observance of the law.”
In this sense, Bishop Fisichella indicated that on September 11, an agreement was signed with the Ministry of Justice of the Italian Republic “to make effective, during the Jubilee year, forms of reintegration for several inmates through their employment in activities socially committed.”
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.