VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis has pushed open the great bronze doors of St. Peter’s Basilica to launch his Holy Year of Mercy, declaring that mercy trumps moralizing in his Catholic Church.
Francis stood in prayer on the threshold of the basilica’s Holy Door and then walked through it, the first of an estimated 10 million faithful who will pass through over the course of the next year in a rite of pilgrimage dating back centuries.
A thin and frail Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI walked through the doorway right after Francis. It was a rare outing for the 88-year-old Benedict, whose historic resignation led to Francis’ election and a papacy dedicated to showing the merciful side of the church.
Some 5,000 extra police and soldiers have been deployed around Rome to protect the pilgrims flocking to Rome to participate in the yearlong celebration.
Security was heightened after the Vatican was listed as a possible target following the Paris attacks.
