Jubilee: Rite for the closing of Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica

The practice of closing the Holy Doors at the conclusion of the Jubilee, established in 1975 and simplified by Pope Saint John Paul II during the Holy Year of 2000, is followed by the walling-up, which takes place privately around ten days later.

Vatican News

On the occasion of the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, on 6 January 2026, Pope Leo XIV closes the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the last still open among the papal basilicas of Rome, thereby formally concluding the Holy Year, which began on 24 December 2024.

Closing of the door leaves

In continuity with the practice established in 1975—and further simplified by Saint John Paul II during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000—the rite, which begins at 9:30 a.m., no longer includes the public walling-up of the door, but is limited to the closing of the door leaves.

The Pope recites the prayer of thanksgiving for the Ordinary Holy Year. The formula prescribed by the rite states: “This Holy Door is closed, but the door of Your mercy is not closed.”

He continues with an invocation that the “treasures” of divine grace may remain open, “so that, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, we may knock with confidence at the door of Your house and enjoy the fruits of the tree of life.”

Subsequently, while the antiphon “O clavis David” is sung, the Pope approaches the Holy Door. He steps onto the threshold, kneels, and, after a moment of silent prayer, personally closes the two great bronze door leaves.

This gesture underscores that the Jubilee time comes to an end, while God’s mercy always remains open.

Immediately following the closing of the Holy Door, the Pope presides over the Holy Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

The subsequent walling-up

The actual walling-up of the Holy Door takes place in private, approximately ten days afterward, following a specific rite of walling-up overseen by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.

The technicians of the Fabric of St. Peter’s—the so-called sampietrini (in the other papal basilicas, technicians of the Governorate of Vatican City State)—will construct the brick wall inside the Basilica to seal the Holy Door.

During the rite, the traditional metal capsule (capsis) is placed within the wall. It contains the official record of the closing, the coins minted during the Jubilee Year, and the keys of the Holy Door.

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