Pope Francis made a visit on Thursday to one of the largest prison complexes in Italy, opening a special "Holy Door" for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, in what the Vatican said was the first such action by a Catholic pontiff.

Marking the Holy Year of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis opened a Holy Door at a prison in Rome on Thursday, offering a message of hope and forgiveness to inmates. "Do not lose hope, that is the message I want to give you,

The Jubilee ceremony begins with Pope Francis opening the Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica. The ceremony includes prayers in Latin and Italian, symbolising forgiveness, as the Pope crosses the threshold to start the Holy Year.