Pope Leo Urges Kindness To Foreigners At Catholic Holy Year Close

Pope Leo XIV concluded the Holy Year for the Catholic Church on Tuesday, calling on Christians everywhere to lend a hand to those in need and show compassion to foreigners.

Throughout his tenure, Leo has consistently highlighted the significance of supporting immigrants.

At a Vatican ceremony, he mentioned that the unprecedented 33.5 million pilgrims who journeyed to Rome during this holy period ought to have gleaned the lesson of not reducing individuals to mere "commodities."

"In our midst, an often misguided economy seeks to capitalise on everything," Leo stated.

"Will we be more adept at identifying a pilgrim in the visitor, a seeker in the newcomer, a neighbour in the stranger following this year?"

Holy years, or jubilees, customarily occur every quarter-century and are revered as periods for peace, forgiveness, and absolution.

Visitors to Rome have the opportunity to enter special "Holy Doors" at four major basilicas and attend papal gatherings throughout the span of this year.

Leo sealed the ceremonial bronze door at St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday morning, which officially signalled the end of the Holy Year.

The church does not anticipate another Holy Year until 2033, which may include a special observance to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus Christ's passing.

On Monday, Vatican and Italian authorities announced that the pilgrims who arrived in Rome for the 2025 jubilee hailed from 185 different countries, with most arriving from Italy, the U.S., Spain, Brazil, and Poland.

The 2025 jubilee was initiated by the former Pope Francis, who passed away in April, and concluded by Leo, who took office in May, marking him as the first American pope.

This event created a notable historical footnote, being the first time in 300 years for a jubilee to commence under one pope and conclude under another.

The last occurrence of such a transition dates back to the year 1700, when Innocent XII initiated the Holy Year, which was later concluded by Clement XI.

Leo, committed to upholding Francis' hallmark initiatives such as embracing LGBTQ Catholics and exploring women's roles in ecclesiastical functions, echoed his forerunner's frequent critiques regarding global economic structures during his discourse on Tuesday.

He remarked, "The marketplace reduces the deep human desires to explore, journey, and begin anew into simple commercial transactions."