Pope Francis begins Jubilee 2025 with lament for children victims of war

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Nthe traditional Midnight Mass, on Christmas Eve, this Tuesday, 24th, Pope Francis will once again criticize the violence that affects innocent children around the world. The mass marked the beginning of the “Holy Year” of 2025 of the Catholic Church, an international pilgrimage for which more than 30 million faithful from all over the world are expected in Rome, under the sign of the Jubilee.

“Let us think about the wars, the machine-gunned children, the bombs in schools and hospitals,” said the pope in his homily, alluding to Israel’s bombings in Gaza, the “cruelty” of which he had denounced this week, provoking protests from Israeli diplomats.

The mass was celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican, in the presence of almost 30 thousand people. Jorge Bergoglio performed the celebration sitting in a wheelchair.

The pope also called on Christians to “raise their voice against evil and injustices committed directly against the poorest”. The statement comes three days after Francisco criticized Israel’s bombings in the Gaza Strip, an act that sparked protests from Israeli diplomats.

At 12pm this Wednesday, 25th, Christmas Day, when Francis pronounces the blessing “urbi et orbi” (for the city and the world), the expectation is that he will renew his calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East and the rest of the world.

The highest representative of the Catholic Church also inaugurated Jubilee 2025 in the Vatican on that date, with the rite of opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. Throughout the year, pilgrims will be able to pass through the gate, which is closed during normal times. More than 30 million faithful from all over the world are expected in Rome.

Organized every 25 years by the Catholic Church, the Jubilee is a period of conversion and penance for the faithful, accompanied by cultural and religious events.

Following the deadly attack at a Christmas market in Germany four days ago, security around the Vatican has been tightened. Around 700 additional agents were sent to Rome, according to the Interior Ministry.

The opening of the Holy Door will be replicated by three other great basilicas in Rome and thousands more in churches around the world.