The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica will be sealed on January 16, thus completing the material closure—including the masonry work—of the four Holy Doors of the papal basilicas following the Jubilee of Hope.
The concluding rite for the closure of the Holy Door of St. Mary Major took place on January 13. That of St. John Lateran was closed on January 14, and that of St. Paul Outside the Walls on January 15. With that of St. Peter, on January 16, the Holy See concludes the process in the four papal basilicas.
A Brick Wall for the Definitive Closure
The sealing of the Holy Door of St. Peter will be carried out by the so-called “sanpietrini”, the staff of the Fabric of St. Peter (carpenters, cabinetmakers, and electricians) usually in charge of the basilica’s maintenance. As in the other three basilicas, they will erect a brick wall inside the temple to permanently close the Holy Door.
A Bronze Capsule with Documents, Coins, and Keys
In addition to the wall, the traditional metal capsule (capsis) will be inserted into the wall, a bronze box that will contain the official closure document, the coins minted during the jubilee year, and the keys to the Holy Door.
These elements seek to leave material and symbolic record of the holy year, which—as the Pope emphasized in the ceremony on January 6—concludes on the calendar, but should not conclude in the spiritual life of the Church.
Continuity with the Jubilee of Mercy
In the papal basilicas, the key and several pontifical medals are deposited along with the official document; in particular, it is recalled that from the closure of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016) until today, these testimonies linked to the latest sealings have been preserved.