In the Rebibbia New Complex Prison in Rome, Pope Francis opens a Holy Door and celebrates Mass for prisoners.
By Kielce Gussie
“I wanted the second Holy Door I open to be here at a prison,” Pope Francis explained. For the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, the first Door to be opened was the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on 24 December 2024, then, for the first-time ever, the Pope opened the Holy Door at a prison.
Pope greets a prisoner in the Church of Our Father
Arriving at the Rebibbia New Complex Prison in Rome, the Pope spoke about the importance of opening the Door there. In front of the prison’s chapel, the Church of Our Father, he explained that he wanted everyone to “have the opportunity to fling open the doors to their hearts and to understand that hope never disappoints.”
Open doors, open hearts
After walking through the Holy Door himself, the Pope presided over Mass in the church. In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the historic reason for his visit, describing it as “a beautiful gesture of opening.” But more than simply opening doors, the Pope encouraged the prisoners present, to open their hearts. Brotherhood, he said, is “open hearts.”
A prisoner prays during the Mass to open the Holy Door at Rebibbia Prison in Rome
The Pope warned against closed, hardened hearts, which keep us from living. He explained that the Jubilee gives us the grace to “fling open” our hearts to hope. Even in the most difficult and challenging times, he reassured, hope does not disappoint.
Hope is an anchor
Pope Francis likened hope to an anchor on the shore, tied securely with rope. “Sometimes, the rope is hard,” he continued, “and it hurts our hands.” Yet even in these moments, the anchor of hope keeps us moving forward, because, he said, there is always something ahead of us.
Don’t leave it half-closed
“When one’s heart is closed, it becomes hard like stone; it forgets tenderness,” the Pope cautioned, expressing this is why it is necessary to keep the doors of our hearts open, even in the most difficult situations. He challenged the prisoners present to be open to hope, encouraging them as he said, “everyone knows how to do it.”
Pope Francis also explained that everyone knows if their heart is closed or half-closed, and concluded by reminding those present that the Holy Door he opened is “a sign of the door of our heart.”
Pope Francis asked for their prayers, telling the group that he truly prays for them, and that it is “not just a figure of speech.”
Offering of gifts
At the end of the Mass, some of the prisoners and guards presented the Pope with gifts, including a miniature reproduction of the Holy Door and a basket containing oil, cookies, and ceramics.
Members of the prison present the Pope with a replica of the Holy Door
The Prison Administration gave Pope Francis a painting of Christ as the Savior created by a former prison officer, artist Elio Lucente. The Pope, in turn, gave the prison a parchment commemorating the event.
