Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday, inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome in a test of the pope's stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them.

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.

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Pope Francis’ vicar for the Diocese of Rome, described the event as “a gesture that renews our profession of faith in Christ.”

Pope Francis urged inmates to never give up hope as he inaugurated the Vatican’s Jubilee Year at the high-security Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome on Thursday.

Rome has shifted into high gear for the opening of Jubilee 2025, a blockbuster year-long celebration in the Catholic world that begins Christmas Eve. The Jubilee is a centuries-old tradition packed with epic pageantry and events that draw visitors from all corners of the globe.

Amid security worries, millions of pilgrims are expected to descend on Rome for a Jubilee Year of major Catholic celebrations throughout 2025. Here are the highlights.