The pope is kicking off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis on Tuesday opens the 2025 Holy Year. It kicks off a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. That will test the pope's stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. At the start of Christmas Eve Mass, Francis pushes open the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee, in which the Catholic faithful make pilgrimages to Rome. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope.