All Catholic cathedrals in England to have a holy door

Friday, May 1st, 2015

Every cathedral should have a holy door as part of the year of mercy, the bishops of England and Wales have said.

The bishops have welcomed Pope Francis’s initiatives for the Jubilee Year of Mercy which starts on December 8.

Among these is installing a holy door at each cathedral and shrine.

Holy doors, or porta santa, are normally sealed shut from the inside.

They are only opened during Jubilee years, during which pilgrims pass through the doors to gain a plenary indulgence.

The England and Wales bishops said that the Jubilee Year should also find expression by encouraging Confession as “the Sacrament of the New Evangelisation” over the weekend of May 4 to 5 in 2016.

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News category: News Shorts.

Tags: Cathedrals, England, Holy door, Wales, Year of Mercy

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