The Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Pope has published the program of the main ceremonies that Francis will preside over in the last days of 2024 and the first days of 2025. Among them, the Christmas Eve Mass, the beginning of the Jubilee and the traditional Urbi et Orbi Blessing stand out.
Pope Francis will begin his agenda of celebrations on December 15 with an Apostolic Journey to Ajaccio, France, where he will participate in the congress on “Popular religiosity in the Mediterranean.” This event will mark the beginning of his liturgical program for December 2024 and January 2025, which was officially released on Monday, November 25 by the Vatican Office for Liturgical Celebrations.
December 2024
On Tuesday, December 24, Christmas Eve, the Pope will preside over the Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at 7:00 p.m., and, at the end, he will carry out the opening of the Holy Door, marking the beginning of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, under the motto “Pilgrims of Hope.” This Jubilee will extend until January 6, 2026, as announced by the Pope in May 2024 with the bull Spes non confundit.
The following day, Wednesday 25 December, Francis will offer his traditional Christmas message and Urbi et Orbi blessing from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica at 12 noon.
On Thursday 26 December, on the feast of St Stephen, the Pope will visit the Rebibbia penitentiary in Rome, where he will preside over a mass at 9:00 a.m. and will open the Holy Door in this context, as a symbol of closeness and hope for the inmates.
On 31 December, at 5:00 p.m., the Pope will celebrate the first vespers of the solemnity of Saint Mary Mother of God, with the prayer of the Te Deum, in thanksgiving for the year that is ending.
January 2025
On January 1, Francis will celebrate Mass for the Solemnity of Mary Most Holy Mother of God in the Vatican Basilica at 10:00 a.m., as part of the 58th World Day of Peace.
On January 6, during the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Pope will preside over the Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Finally, on January 12, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Francis will celebrate Mass in the Sistine Chapel at 9:30 a.m., where he will administer the sacrament of Baptism to several children, as is traditional on this date.
Exaudi will broadcast all these ceremonies live on its Facebook account.
