Pope asks that Rome welcome foreigners as he closes out 2025
ROME —
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV concluded 2025 on a hopeful note by offering a prayer for Rome to be a place of hospitality for all, including foreigners, and vulnerable individuals of all ages.
Leo led a New Year’s Eve service at St. Peter’s Basilica, expressing gratitude for the 2025 Holy Year that attracted millions of pilgrims to Rome for the once-in-a-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.
Leo will officially conclude the Jubilee on Jan. 6, expressing gratitude to Rome and the volunteers who helped manage the crowds visiting St. Peter’s and passing through its Holy Door.
He recalled Pope Francis’ call for Rome to be a more welcoming place and emphasized the importance of extending this hospitality even further after the period of grace.
“What can we wish for Rome? That it may be worthy of its little ones. Of children, of lonely and fragile elderly people, of families who struggle to get by, of men and women who have come from afar hoping for a dignified life,” he said.
Among the attendees were Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and other dignitaries.
Besides the Jubilee, 2025 was significant due to the papal transition following Francis’ passing in April and the election of the first pope from the United States.
The Vatican recently released statistics indicating that 3.2 million individuals participated in Vatican liturgies, audiences, Angelus prayers, and Jubilee events throughout the year. The numbers significantly increased after Leo’s election in May.
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