Thousands of Europeans welcomed Christmas with great enthusiasm. Masses were organised all over the continent with thousands of worshippers attending the events to mark the festive occasion.
Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday, inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church in the Vatican. From his wheelchair, the pontiff knocked the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica a few times before they swung open.
The ceremony in the Vatican inaugurated the once every quarter-century tradition known as the jubilee. The jubilee is intended to be a period of reflection, reconciliation and renewal. It’s often marked by a wide array of cultural and religious events, such as masses and concerts, and aim to inspire the Catholic faithful to embark on pilgrimages, repent of and forgive the sins of others.
The Head of the Catholic Church dedicated this jubilee to the theme of hope.
“Sisters and brothers, this is the Jubilee. This is the season of hope in which we are invited to rediscover the joy of meeting the Lord. The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to the transformation of our world, so that this year may truly become a time of jubilation,” said Pope Francis as he spoke to attendees of the at the St. Peter’s Basilica Mass.
The pontiff called on the faithful to restore hope in the world. Highlighting the importance of doing so, he said, “We are called to bring hope to the weary who have no strength to carry on, the lonely oppressed by the bitterness of failure, and all those who are broken-hearted.”
“Bring hope there, sow hope there. The Jubilee has now opened so that all people may receive the hope.”
Francis will underscore this message of hope when he opens a Holy Door on Thursday at Rome’s Rebibbia prison. The move looks to instil hope for a better future in the hearts of inmates at the penitentiary facility.
Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral celebrates its first Christmas Eve mass since 2019 fire
Five years after a devastating fire nearly destroyed the city’s beloved 12th century cathedra, the Notre Dame is once again host to Christmas Eve masses.
The gothic structure which took two centuries to built was closed to worshippers for five years, undergoing intensive restoration work. It recently reopened its doors to visitors and worshippers on 7 December.
Four different masses took place in the cathedral on Christmas Eve. The first two of the day drew thousands in attendance, many of them worshippers, others there to walk in and marvel at the richness of the restoration.
The main mass took place at midnight and was led by the Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, who also led the reopening ceremony a few weeks ago with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Last year I spoke to you in our building site clothes, in our cathedral that was still under construction. And now, we’re back in the Notre Dame, which has just been opened to worship and visitors. Our hearts are in celebration! We’ve come home!” said Ulrich in a message before the midnight ceremony.
The Notre Dame is not just an iconic site to Parisians, but the whole world. Tourists from around the world have curated their trip to ensure they could attend the cathedral’s mass.
“Absolutely in awe, it’s amazing. It’s absolutely beautiful. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to just take part in this tonight. It was truly an experience. Very moving,” said Lori Fleet, an American tourist visiting family in the French capital.
After the 2019 fire, nearly $1 billion (€961.2 million) poured in from around the world to support its restoration effort, a tribute to the UNESCO accredited World Heritage Site’s global appeal and appreciation.
Greece welcomes Christmas
Thousands of Athenians gathered outside the Athens City Hall in the capital on Christmas Eve to make a wish and release paper lanterns into the night sky.
The annual gathering takes place in the city’s popular central Kotzia square and was overseen this year by Haris Doukas, the Mayor of Athens.
“It’s a night of wishes. We gathered thousands of people and thousands of wishes. The lanterns are currently travelling in the sky of Athens. We’re very happy. Athens celebrates, becomes a huge and very beautiful event,” said Doukas.
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