By Fr. OKHUELEIGBE OSEMHANTIE ÃMOS

On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV officially concluded the Jubilee Year of Hope with the closing of the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica, the last of the Holy Doors opened during the Jubilee. The deeply symbolic gesture crowned months of pilgrimage, prayer, and renewal that saw millions of faithful journey as “pilgrims of hope” toward the heart of the Church.

Presiding over Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica before approximately 5,800 faithful, the Holy Father marked the end of a Jubilee that, in his words, opened humanity to _“the new Jerusalem, the city whose doors are always open.”_ The closing of the Holy Door was not merely architectural or ceremonial; it stood as a theological punctuation mark, signaling that while the Jubilee year ends, its spiritual fruits must continue to shape the life of the Church.

The closing of the Holy Door carries profound symbolic and pastoral implications for the universal Church. While the open doors of the Jubilee offered pilgrims an extraordinary opportunity for indulgence, reflection, and renewal, their closure now invites the faithful to internalize the grace received. The gesture signals a shift from pilgrimage to living out the Jubilee’s message in everyday life: acts of mercy, personal conversion, and renewed commitment to justice, peace, and hope.

The Holy Father emphasized that although the physical threshold is now sealed, the spiritual journey initiated during the Jubilee does not end. Faithful are called to _carry the “light of hope” into their communities_, becoming beacons of service, compassion, and active evangelization. The Church, in turn, must continue to provide guidance, catechesis, and pastoral programs that sustain the momentum generated by the yearlong celebration.

This Jubilee Year of Hope drew an unprecedented number of pilgrims to Rome. Vatican officials reported that *over 8.5 million faithful from across the globe* passed through the Holy Doors in various basilicas throughout 2025, reflecting a vibrant and renewed spiritual engagement with the universal Church. Pilgrims came not only to seek indulgence but to witness firsthand the liturgical grandeur, the pastoral initiatives, and the accessibility of the Church to all, from the devout to the questioning.

Spectacular features of this Jubilee included expansive outreach programs for the marginalized, thematic catecheses linking hope to daily life, and high-profile events that highlighted intergenerational participation. Technology also played a transformative role: pilgrims unable to travel to Rome were able to engage virtually through live-streamed liturgies, interactive catecheses, and Vatican-sponsored digital pilgrimages, making this Jubilee particularly inclusive and modern in its reach.

Looking ahead, the next ordinary Jubilee will be celebrated in *2050*, in accordance with the usual 25-year cycle of extraordinary Holy Years, or earlier if called as an extraordinary Jubilee by the Pope. Preparations for that time will build upon the lessons and successes of this Jubilee, ensuring that the Church continues to foster spiritual renewal, global solidarity, and a culture of hope that resonates far beyond the confines of Rome.

While the universal Jubilee formally concluded in Rome on Epiphany, its impact resonated across local Churches worldwide. In Nigeria, diocesan celebrations brought the Jubilee Year of Hope to a close in contexts rich with pastoral symbolism.

In the Diocese of Uromi, the Jubilee concluded on the Last Sunday of 2025, coinciding with the Feast of the Most Holy Family, underscoring the Jubilee’s emphasis on family life, domestic holiness, and hope rooted in everyday faith. The event was presided over by the Local Ordinary Bishop Donatus Ogun at the Cathedral Church of St. Anthony of Padua.

Similarly, the Archdiocese of Benin City closed its Jubilee celebrations on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, placing the fruits of the Jubilee under Mary’s maternal guidance, as Star of the Morning, who leads the Church toward a future illuminated by grace, mercy, and hope.

As the Holy Door closes and the Jubilee Year of Hope passes into history, the challenge now is to sustain its transformative impact. The Church is called to move from celebration to action, from pilgrimage to living witness. While doors may close, hope, once awakened, must never be shut. Pope Leo XIV’s vision remains clear: the faithful are to be pilgrims of life, bearers of hope, and builders of a humanity renewed not by power or delusion, but by the enduring love of God who became flesh for the salvation of all.

•Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi and a Lecturer at CIWA, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

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