Cardinal James Michael Harvey closed the Holy Door at the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls on Sunday, December 28, during a Eucharistic celebration marking the conclusion of Jubilee observances at the basilica, Vatican News reported.
The cardinal said Christian hope confronts wars, injustices and the crises shaping today’s world. Instead, he said hope is grounded in God’s mercy and trust rather than what he described as naive optimism. The Sacred Door, he explained, symbolised a passage from human limitation into divine mercy.
He focused much of the homily on peace and described the Cross of Christ as the only significant source of hope. Cardinal Harvey cited the inscription near the Jubilee Door as especially relevant amid global conflicts.
According to Vatican News, the closing ceremony was marked by silence and prayer as he knelt before the door and sealed it after reflection. He said that while sacred doors close, God’s mercy always remains open. The cardinal reportedly urged pilgrims to return to their daily lives as witnesses of hope, charity and faith. The Holy Door at St Paul’s was the third papal basilica door to close, with St Peter’s Basilica set to follow on January 6, the Epiphany.