Speaking to hundreds of inmates on Thursday at the Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome, in a gesture of hope to show his closeness to detainees, Francis said he wanted to open the door, part of the prison chapel, and one of only five that will be open during the “holy year”, to show that “hope does not disappoint”.
“I wanted the second holy door I open to be here at a prison,” said the pope, who kicked off the “jubilee of hope” by opening the holy door of St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve on Tuesday.
In the papal bull marking the jubilee, titled “Spes non confundit” (hope does not disappoint), the pope has called for forms of amnesty or pardon for prisoners and for “pathways of reintegration” dedicated to them, as well as for “the abolition of the death penalty”.
Speaking at the noon Angelus service, the pope described prison as a kind of “cathedral of pain and hope”.
Francis said: “I like to think of hope as the anchor that is on the shore and, with the rope, we are safe. Do not lose hope: this is the message I want to give you, to give all of us … because hope never disappoints.
“In bad moments, we can all think that everything is over. Do not lose hope. This is the message I wanted to give you. Do not lose hope.”
Over the next 12 months, Catholic pilgrims will pass through the door – which is normally bricked up – by tradition benefiting from a “plenary indulgence”, a type of forgiveness for their sins.
Pope Francis opened the first holy door of St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, launching the jubilee year of Catholic celebrations, which will draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome.
Organised by the church every 25 years, the jubilee is intended as a period of reflection and penance, and is marked by a long list of cultural and religious events, from masses to exhibitions, conferences and concerts.
The jubilee, whose motto this year is “pilgrims of hope”, is aimed at the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics, but also aims to reach a wider audience.
As well as the regular jubilees every 25 years, the church has organised extraordinary jubilees, the most recent in 2016.
The next is in 2033 to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.