Pope Francis, in his Bull of Indiction – ‘Spes non confundit’ (‘Hope does not disappoint’), has announced that the Jubilee Year of 2025 will begin with the opening of the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, 2024.

As we enter the Advent season and open the doors on our Advent calendars each day, let’s explore the theme of doors in Church Tradition and Scripture.

When did the Holy Door Tradition begin?
The Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica is opened by the Pope only at the beginning of the Jubilee Year to indicate the beginning of a Holy Year. This tradition at St Peter’s was first established in 1500 during the papacy of Alexander VI.

Then on 29th December, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door of the Archbasilica of St John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. On the same day, in every Cathedral and co-Cathedral throughout the world the local Bishop will celebrate Mass to mark the beginning of the Jubilee.

On the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, 1 January 2025, Pope Francis will open the Holy Door for the Basilica of St Mary Major. Then, on Sunday, 5 January, the Vigil of Epiphany, he will open the Holy Door of the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls.

On 28 December 2025, the Jubilee will end with the Holy Doors of St John Lateran, St Mary Major, and St Paul’s Outside the Walls being closed. Finally, the Jubilee Year will conclude with the celebration of the Solemnity of Epiphany in Rome on 6 January 2026.

Why are Doors important in the Bible?
There are several events in Scripture where doors are important physically and symbolically. Some of these doors are gateways to the Divine and provide protection or freedom from suffering and danger. Some are thresholds between one place and another on the way to salvation. Meanwhile other doors signify boundaries between where God and people can dwell.

In the ancient world the ordinary domestic door became a symbol of hospitality and safety. A special sanctity was associated with the threshold of the home. A wealthy person would employ a doorkeeper to guard their property and authorise access, as in Mark 13:34.

In the New Testament, open and closed doors are mentioned as well as the people who knock on them, both literally and symbolically. A closed door is also used to demonstrate humility such as when Jesus encourages us to shut our rooms and pray to our Father in secret, rather than parade our piety in public, in Matthew 6:6.

Perhaps the most powerful image of all is Jesus himself as the door; enabling us to enter into relationship with God (John 10:7-9) and transcending all previous access to the Divine in this one simple, universal image.

Genesis 6:16 – The Door to Noah’s Ark
Early on in the Bible, God instructs Noah to build an ark to save his family, and pairs of other creatures, from the flood that would cover the earth.

The door of the ark symbolises God’s justice and mercy as, while judging a fallen world, he opens the way of salvation and world healing to the faithful Noah, his family, and the chosen animals.

Exodus 12:7-13 – The Passover Door
God instructs Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. The night before they leave, God institutes the Feast of the Passover. This Feast involves sacrificing a spotless lamb and smearing its blood on the doorposts and lintels of the houses of the Hebrew people. Those who had followed the divine instructions and crossed into the Hebrew homes were saved from the tenth plague which killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt.

This Passover door symbolises God’s protection over the oppressed Israelites and foreshadowed the blood of the perfect, sacrificial lamb, poured out by Jesus on his cross.

1 Kings 6:31-35 – The Temple Door
King Solomon was instructed by God to build the first Temple as a suitable place where God would always dwell among the Israelites. However, the use of conscripted workers, slave labour and trafficked people to complete this project exposed wholesale social injustice at the heart of Solomon’s ever grander project whose lavish contents and furnishings are described in extensive detail in 2 Chronicles 2:1,7.

But the Door at the centre of the Temple symbolised the liminal space between God and humanity. Only the ceremonially pure high priest could enter the door to the Holy of Holies deep within the Temple. Once a year, this door was opened for the high priest to make atonement for the sins of the people. Inside the Holy of Holies were housed the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments. Above them hung the Temple Curtain which was torn apart at the point of Jesus’ death signifying that direct access to God was now possible through Jesus for all people.

John 10:7-9 – The Shepherd Door
Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep… If anyone enters by me, he will be saved…”

This door represents how Jesus is the way for us to be in a relationship with God. Shepherds in Israel and the rest of the Middle East at that time would rest at the opening gate to the sheepfold. That way, they could watch and manage the sheep who came and went through their ‘door’ and could prevent other sheep from joining their flock.

Jesus, as the Good Shepherd and the Door to eternal life, explained to his followers that the Good Shepherd will always go looking for his lost sheep and will lay down his life for them as a foreshadowing of his own death.

Matthew 28:1-6 – The Door of the Tomb
When Jesus died and rose from the dead, the Gospel tells us an angel rolled away the newly hewn stone that acted as the door to his grave. The angel then sat on it while explaining to Mary Magdalene what had happened to Jesus and his power over death.

This door is the climax of the physical and symbolic miracle of the resurrection. It is a sign that encourages us to believe that death is not the end, but a new beginning in our faith journey with God.

Acts 14:27 – The Door of Faith
As the early Christian communities begin to emerge, Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch in Northern Syria (modern Turkey) having travelled extensively to spread the gospel, and with mixed success. While many people were converted and believed, there were plenty who challenged and persecuted these early apostles even stoning Paul at Lystra. Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas stayed faithful to the Good News and described their experience as God opening ‘a door of faith’ among non-believers through their preaching mission.

Advent challenge
As we start our Advent journey, let us reflect on these biblical doors and the insights they give us to deepen our faith this Christmas.

If you have time, you could look up and pray with these other Scripture references to doors as a simple Advent practice:

Psalm 24:7
Isaiah 22:22
Matthew 6:6
Matthew 7:7-8
Matthew 7:13-14
Acts 16:25-31
1 Corinthians 16:8-9
2 Corinthians 2:12
Colossians 4:3-4
James 5:9
Revelation 3:7-8
Revelation 3:20
Revelation 4:1

Fleur Dorrell

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