Pope Francis calls for hope and debt relief on Christmas Eve

Pope Francis led the world’s Roman Catholics into Christmas with a solemn Mass on Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the 12th Christmas of his pontificate.

The Mass also marked the beginning of the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, which the Vatican expects will attract approximately 32 million tourists to Rome.

In his sermon, the Pope emphasized the virtue of hope, which is also the theme of the Holy Year. He described hope as a call to action, urging individuals not to remain stagnant in their old habits or laziness. "Hope calls us ... to be upset with things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them," he said.

A Catholic Holy Year, also known as a Jubilee, is a period of peace, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal, occurring once every 25 years. During this year, pilgrims to Rome can obtain indulgences, or remission of sins.

The Jubilee will run through January 6, 2026. As part of the celebrations, Pope Francis oversaw the opening of a special bronze-panelled "Holy Door" at St. Peter's Basilica, which is only open during Jubilee years.

The Vatican anticipates up to 100,000 pilgrims will walk through the door daily in 2025.

Pope Francis also reiterated his call for developed nations to take action to alleviate the debt burden of low-income countries. "The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to the transformation of our world," he said. "A time of jubilee for the poorer countries burdened beneath unfair debts; a time of jubilee for all those who are in bondage to forms of slavery old and new."

This follows the campaign initiated by Pope John Paul II during the Jubilee year in 2000, which led to $130 billion in debt cancellation between 2000 and 2015.

Despite a cold that the Vatican confirmed he has been suffering from, Pope Francis appeared in good form during the Mass, although his voice was slightly raspy. On Christmas Day, he is scheduled to deliver his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" message and blessing.