Pope Leo XIV closes the Holy Door on the Epiphany, ending the Jubilee Year of Hope and calling believers to renew faith as “pilgrims of hope.”
Newsroom (06/01/2026 Gaudium Press )In the golden light of the Epiphany morning, incense drifted through the vaults of St. Peter’s Basilica as more than 5,800 faithful gathered for a moment that marked both an end and a beginning. On Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV presided over the Solemn Mass of the Epiphany and closed the last Holy Door, officially bringing the Jubilee Year of Hope to a close — an ancient ritual symbolizing the conclusion of a sacred journey that began twelve months ago, calling the Church and the world to rediscover renewed faith in God’s promise.
At the start of the liturgy, the Pope, dressed in white vestments, moved in solemn procession to the great bronze portal of the Basilica — the Holy Door that for months had welcomed “innumerable men and women, pilgrims of hope.” As he gently closed it, the doors resonated through the basilica, a sound both final and tender, signifying the end of a year dedicated to mercy, conversion, and renewal. “We journey toward the new Jerusalem,” the Pontiff said, “the city whose doors are always open.”
A Gospel of Contrast: Joy and Fear
Reflecting on the Gospel passage from Matthew, Pope Leo turned to the familiar figures of the Magi and King Herod to illuminate the paradox of divine revelation. In the encounter between joy and fear, between hope and anxiety, the Pope found the central truth of the Epiphany. “Every time Sacred Scripture speaks of God manifesting Himself,” he said, “it does not hide the contrasting reactions: joy and agitation, resistance and obedience, fear and longing.”
Yet it is in these tensions, the Pope explained, that the story of faith continues. God’s appearance, far from preserving the world as it is, transforms it utterly. “In His presence,” the Pope declared, “nothing stays the same.” Hope, he added, is born from this transformation — the end of the weary lament, “there is nothing new under the sun,” replaced by the urgent proclamation: “Arise, shine; for your light has come.”
The Restlessness of Seekers
Turning from Bethlehem to the modern world, Pope Leo invited the faithful to see in the Magi’s journey a mirror of contemporary humanity’s own restless searching. “Who are the pilgrims of today?” he asked. “What drives them to set out?” The Pope described these spiritual seekers as people who still “accept the risks of the journey,” who look for meaning in a world that can be “unpleasant and dangerous.”
To the Church, he offered a challenge: not to fear this restless humanity, but to welcome and guide it. “The Magi still exist,” he said, “and they call us to appreciate their searching, to orient it toward God, who sustains us.” The living God, he reminded the faithful, cannot be contained or controlled, unlike the lifeless idols of “silver and gold.” He is a God who unsettles — who moves — and who gives life. “Holy places,” the Pope added, “must diffuse the aroma of life, the unforgettable realization that another world has begun.”
Faith Beyond Fear
In Herod’s fear, Pope Leo saw a warning for every age. The desire to control power and preserve privilege always conflicts with the freedom God brings. “Fear blinds us,” he said. “But the joy of the Gospel liberates.” The challenge of faith, he explained, lies not in self-preservation but in courage — to be “prudent, yes, but also bold, attentive and creative,” and to open new paths different from those already traveled.
The Pope’s words carried an undertone of quiet urgency, a call for renewal within the Church itself. “Is there life in our Church?” he asked. “Is there space for something new to be born?” This was more than rhetorical; it was a pastoral appeal for the Church to remain a home — alive, transforming, expectant — rather than a monument of memory.
A Gift Beyond Price
At the center of the Pope’s message stood the mystery of the Child — the fragile, unassuming figure adored by the wise men. “The child whom the Magi adore is a priceless and immeasurable good,” the Pope said. He does not appear in grandeur, but in humility, reminding the world that God’s transformation begins not with spectacle but with love made flesh. Bethlehem, he noted, “is by no means least” precisely because it welcomes the Infinite in simplicity.
As the Jubilee Year of Hope closed, Pope Leo’s words echoed through St. Peter’s like a benediction for the road ahead. “It is wonderful,” he said, “to become pilgrims of hope—to continue to be pilgrims together.” Guided by Mary, the Star of the Morning, he prayed that the Church may yet become “the generation of a new dawn,” journeying toward “an extraordinary humanity” not shaped by the will of the powerful but renewed by the love of God who became human.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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