Hey there,
It’s been 86 years since the original “Wizard of Oz” movie was released. It’s one of the most popular movies ever and is still just as enjoyable today as it was back then.
Though I was not around when the movie first came out, one of my favorite memories growing up was the anticipation and excitement of watching the movie when it aired on TV every year. And later I loved sharing it with my children.
One of the most dramatic scenes is in the beginning when the house gets swept up by the tornado with Dorothy inside … and finally comes crashing back down to the ground. Dorothy opens the front door, leaving her sepia-colored life in Kansas to enter the Technicolor world of Oz.
It was quite the transformative door!
Doors have been in the news lately, thanks to Jubilee 2025. Pope Francis kicked off the Jubilee Year on December 24th when he opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, which had been closed since the last Jubilee Year in 2015-16.
The Pontiff opened up four more Holy Doors around Rome. And during this Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis is calling all Catholics to make a pilgrimage, an experience of conversion, of transforming one’s very being to conform it to the holiness of God.
So where are the Holy Doors located? Why go through the Holy Doors? What do they mean and what exactly did Pope Francis say about them? We cover all this and more in this week’s Genuflect.
Walking through the Holy Door may not look as dramatic as Dorothy’s doorway leading to Oz, but as the portal to our salvation, it’s our ultimate destination!
Keep Believing-
Katy Barrilleaux
Founding Editor, Genuflect
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Jubilee Year of Hope Explained
Joan Watson explains the significance of Jubilee 2025, which is a special time for reconciliation with God and others, encouraging Catholics to engage in acts of mercy. The 2025 Jubilee is an opportunity for individuals to participate in this historic event, reflecting on their faith and the call to a deeper relationship with God.
What is The Jubilee Year of Hope? | Catholic Exchange
Symbolism of Holy Doors
For the beginning of Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis opened 5 Holy Doors. It helps to understand the historical significance of Holy Doors, which go all the way back to ancient Rome. Albert Hammenstede walks us through the history and explains the parallels between the holy doors of a church, the Blessed Virgin, and the doorway leading to Heaven.
Library : On The Symbolism of Holy Doors | Catholic Culture
Jubilee 2025 Holy Door
This is the official website for the Jubilee of Hope 2025. Here you’ll find more about the meaning of passing through the doorway. And while you’re there, check out the Jubilee calendar of activities and learn more about this year of grace.
Holy Door | Jubilee 2025
5 Holy Doors Opened
The opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve was just the beginning. Four more doors were opened. Here’s where the doors are, what the Popes have said about them, what Scripture says, and their history and rituals.
5 Holy Doors: What Every Catholic Should Know Ahead of Jubilee 2025 | National Catholic Register
Holy Door Homily
Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee of the Year 2025 by opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica and celebrating Christmas Eve Mass. Here’s the full text of his homily about this year of grace and how “… the door of hope has opened wide to the world.”
Holy Door of God’s Heart Open to You: Pope’s Homily | Aleteia
Prison Holy Door Opened
Pope Boniface VIII began the Jubilee Year tradition in 1300. Since that time, there has never been a Holy Door opened at a prison … until now. Read why Pope Francis included a prison as one of the 5 Holy Doors to be opened for Jubilee of Hope 2025.
Pope Opens Special ‘Holy Door’ for Catholic Jubilee at Rome Prison | Voice of America
Only 5 Holy Doors
You may recall that for the Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-16, Holy Doors in cathedrals all around the world were included and opened. However, for Jubilee 2025, only the 5 Holy Doors in Rome will be opened. For those who can’t travel to Italy, Pope Francis asked bishops to designate their cathedrals or another church or sacred place as local sites for Holy Year pilgrims.
Diocesan Holy Doors Will Not be Feature of Jubilee 2025, Vatican Says | USCCB
Holy Door Plenary Indulgences
During Jubilee 2025, there are 3 ways to receive a plenary indulgence: pilgrimage, pious visit to sacred places, and works of mercy and penance. Not all of them require you to travel to Italy. Here’s the papal decree with all the details.
Decree on The Granting of Indulgence During The Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 Called by His Holiness Pope Francis | The Holy See
Pope Paul VI Holy Door Mishap
Up until 1974 the ceremony to open the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica looked a lot different than it does today thanks to a scary mishap that resulted in rubble falling near Pope Paul VI. Here’s what happened and how the ceremony was changed.
The Day The Holy Door Almost Fell on Paul VI | Aleteia
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