Pope Leo XIV concluded the Holy Year of the Catholic Church on Tuesday by urging Christians around the world to help those in need and treat foreigners with kindness.
Leo, who has repeatedly emphasized the importance of caring for immigrants during his pontificate, said at a ceremony at the Vatican that the record 33.5 million pilgrims who visited Rome during the Holy Year should have learned not to treat people merely as “commodities.”
“Around us, a distorted economy is trying to take advantage of everything,” Leo said. “After this year, will we be better able to recognize a pilgrim in the visitor, a seeker in the stranger, a neighbor in the foreigner?”
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Pope Leo XIV concluded the Holy Year of the Catholic Church by urging Christians around the world to help those in need and treat foreigners kindly. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Holy years, or anniversaries, typically occur every 25 years and are considered a time of peace, forgiveness and forgiveness. Pilgrims to Rome can enter special “Sacred Doors” at four basilicas in Rome and attend papal audiences throughout the year.
Leo closed the special bronze door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday morning, which officially marked the end of the Holy Year.
The next Holy Year is not expected until 2033, when the Catholic Church may hold a special year to mark 2,000 years since Jesus’ death.
POPE LEO
Pope Leo (Alberto PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images))
On Monday, Vatican and Italian officials said pilgrims to Rome for the 2025 anniversary came from 185 countries, with the majority from Italy, the US, Spain, Brazil and Poland.
The 2025 jubilee was opened by the late Pope Francis, who died in April, and closed by Leo, who was elected in May, making him the first American pope.
It was a historical rarity that had not happened in 300 years that the church was opened by one pope and closed by another. The last jubilee under two different popes was in the year 1700, when Innocent XII opened the Holy Year, which was then closed by Clement XI.
Pope Leo XIV closed the special bronze door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday morning, officially marking the end of the Holy Year. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
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Leo, who has pledged to stick to Francis’ signature policies such as welcoming gay Catholics and discussing the ordination of women, echoed his predecessor’s frequent criticism of the global economic system during his remarks Tuesday.
The markets “turn the human desires of searching, traveling and starting over into a mere business,” Leo said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
