Pope calls for ‘God’s mercy’ at start of yearlong Jubilee

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, Dec. 8, 2015.

“The Jubilee challenges us to this openness, and demands that we not neglect the spirit which emerged from Vatican II, the spirit of the Samaritan, as Blessed Paul VI expressed it at the conclusion of the council”, Francis said in his homily at mass in St. Peter’s Square.

He thanked “those who have been working over recent months and yesterday showed great professionalism – volunteers, fire fighters, emergency services”, and added that he saw a “deployment of strength and motivated people”.

“The Jubilee is an opportune time for all of us so that, contemplating the divine mercy that overcomes every human limit and shines over the darkness of sin, we can become more convincing and efficacious witnesses”, he continued. He is the first of an estimated 10 million faithful who will pass through the doors over the course of the next year, in a rite of holy pilgrimage that dates back centuries, reported The Associated Press.

“We have to put mercy before judgment, and in every case God’s judgment will always be in the light of his mercy”, the pope said. During his address the Holy Father reflected on the meaning of the Jubilee of Mercy, saying: “especially in our times, in which forgiveness is a rare guest in the areas of human life, the call to mercy becomes more urgent”.

Francis was speaking Wednesday during a reflection on the meaning of the Jubilee year, which he formally started Tuesday with a Mass in St. Peter’s Square and by opening the holy door in St. Peter’s Basilica. An extra 5,000 security officers were deployed around Rome, and a no-fly zone has been imposed to protect the arriving pilgrims.

Pope Francis has encouraged Catholics to participate in the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy during the Holy Year, and that is a key focus of the Archdiocese of Washington’s special website at mercy.adw.org, which along with its #EncounterMercy social media campaign also encourages Catholics to receive God’s mercy and share it with others. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, 88, attended Tuesday’s event.

The Holy Door is traditionally bricked up until it’s opened to mark the beginning of a jubilee year.

The Year of Mercy is a worldwide extraordinary jubilee declared by Pope Francis, which will be celebrated through November 2016.

Until 1975, the Holy Doors in Rome were enclosed by a cement wall that the pope broke down using a hammer.

Francis presided over the rite of the holy door’s opening before passing through himself.