{"id":4929,"date":"2026-01-06T12:33:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T12:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/?p=4929"},"modified":"2026-01-20T13:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T13:04:41","slug":"pope-leo-xiv-closes-the-holy-door-concluding-jubilee-year-of-hope-on-the-lords-epiphany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/pope-leo-xiv-closes-the-holy-door-concluding-jubilee-year-of-hope-on-the-lords-epiphany\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV closes the Holy Door, concluding Jubilee Year of Hope on the Lord&#8217;s Epiphany"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Pope closes the Holy Door of St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica. Photos: Vatican Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV presides over Holy Mass in St Peter\u2019s Basilica for some 5,800 faithful and closes the last Holy Door &#8211; marking the official end of the Jubilee Year of Hope.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By Vatican News<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Tuesday, marking the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV presided over Holy Mass in St Peter\u2019s Basilica for some 5,800 faithful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the start of the Mass, the Pope closed the Holy Door of St Peter\u2019s Basilica, the last of the Holy Doors opened for the Jubilee Year. The gesture marked the end of months in which \u201ca stream of innumerable men and women, pilgrims of hope,\u201d crossed the threshold of the Basilica, journeying toward what the Pope described as \u201cthe new Jerusalem, the city whose doors are always open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"January 06, 2026, Pope Leo XIV Highlights Closing of Holy Door\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RrAny2FGjEE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>The Magi and Herod<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflecting on the Gospel of the Day, taken from Matthew the Pope focused on the joy of the Magi and the fear of Herod, noting that Scripture never hides the tension that accompanies God\u2019s manifestation. \u201cEvery time Sacred Scripture speaks of God manifesting himself,\u201d he said, \u201cit does not hide the contrasting reactions, such as joy and agitation, resistance and obedience, fear and longing.\u201d The Epiphany, he added, reveals a God whose presence never leaves things as they are: \u201cToday we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, aware that in his presence nothing stays the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This divine appearing, the Pope continued, marks the beginning of hope. God\u2019s presence \u201cputs an end to that type of melancholic complacency which causes people endlessly to say, \u2018There is nothing new under the sun.\u2019\u201d Instead, \u201csomething new begins which determines the present and the future,\u201d fulfilling the prophetic promise: \u201cArise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta1-1024x675.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta1-1024x675.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta1-300x198.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta1-768x506.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta1.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet it is Jerusalem, the Pope continued &#8211; a city accustomed to revelation, that is troubled by the Magi\u2019s search. Those who know the Scriptures and \u201cthink they have all the answers,\u201d the Pope noted, \u201cseem to have lost the ability to ask questions and cultivate a sense of longing.\u201d The city is unsettled by those who arrive \u201cmoved by hope,\u201d threatened by what should instead be a source of joy. \u201cThis reaction,\u201d he said, \u201calso challenges us as a Church.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>The searching of today\u2019s men and women<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflecting then on the Jubilee, Pope Leo invited the faithful to consider the spiritual searching of today\u2019s men and women. \u201cWho were these men and women, and what motivated them?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhat did they find? What was in their hearts, their questions, their feelings?\u201d Like the Magi, he said, many still feel compelled to set out. \u201cThe Magi still exist today,\u201d he stressed. They are those who \u201csense the need to go out and search, accepting the risks associated with their journey,\u201d even in a world that is often \u201cunpleasant and dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta2-1024x675.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta2-1024x675.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta2-300x198.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta2-768x506.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta2.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gospel, the Pope said, calls the Church not to fear this movement of searching humanity, but \u201cto appreciate it, and orient it toward God who sustains us.\u201d This is not a God who can be controlled. \u201cHe is a God who can unsettle us because he does not remain firmly in our hands like the idols of silver and gold; instead, he is alive and life-giving, like the Baby whom Mary cradled in her arms and whom the wise men adored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this reason, holy places must communicate life. Jubilee pilgrimage sites, the Pope said, \u201cmust diffuse the aroma of life, the unforgettable realisation that another world has begun.\u201d He then posed the question: \u201cIs there life in our Church? Is there space for something new to be born? Do we love and proclaim a God who sets us on a journey?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta3-1024x675.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta3-1024x675.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta3-300x198.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta3-768x506.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260106Porta3.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Pope kneeling before the Holy Door<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast there is Herod, whose fear of losing power distorts his response to God\u2019s action. Herod, the Pope noted, \u201cfears for his throne and is agitated about those things that he feels are beyond his control.\u201d Fear, he warned, \u201cdoes indeed blind us.\u201d The joy of the Gospel, by contrast, \u201cliberates us,\u201d making believers \u201cprudent, yes, but also bold, attentive and creative,\u201d and opening paths \u201cdifferent to those already traveled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>At the heart of the Epiphany<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the heart of the Epiphany, said Pope Leo, bringing a close to his homily, stands a gift that cannot be bought or controlled. \u201cThe child whom the Magi adore is a priceless and immeasurable Good.\u201d His revelation does not take place \u201cin a prestigious location, but in humble place,\u201d and yet to Bethlehem it is said: \u201cYou are by no means least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Highlights Holy Mass on Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, January 06, 2026, Pope Leo XIV\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A_kJp6a4y-k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is wonderful to become pilgrims of hope,\u201d the Pope said. \u201cIt is wonderful for us to continue to be pilgrims together.\u201d Finally, he concluded, if the Church resists becoming a monument and remains a home, he concluded, she may yet become \u201cthe generation of a new dawn,\u201d guided always by Mary, Star of the Morning, toward \u201can extraordinary humanity, transformed not by the delusions of the all-powerful, but by God who became flesh out of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"fonte\">Suorce: Vatican News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV presides over Holy Mass in St Peter\u2019s Basilica for some 5,800 faithful and closes the last Holy Door &#8211; marking the official end of the Jubilee Year of Hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250,6,8,20,4,16],"tags":[357,225,267],"class_list":["post-4929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church","category-featured","category-featured-news","category-mission","category-news","category-spirituality","tag-holy-dor","tag-jubilee-2025","tag-pope-leo-xiv","post_format-post-format-video"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4929"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4936,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4929\/revisions\/4936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consolataafrica.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}