ERITREA: Opening the Jubilee Door a Sign of Opening of The Heart for Salvation

Zerayohannes Ghebre

The official opening ceremony of the Jubilee Year in Arch Eparchy of Asmara took place on

December 29, 2024 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Kidane Mehret),presided by Archbishop Menghisteab Tesfamariam in the presence of hundreds of faithful from all the parishes of Asmara and surrounding areas, Religious congregations and seminarians.

The opening ceremony began early in the morning on Sunday at St. Mary of the Rosary Cathedral with a short prayer of Divine Mercy, lead by Fr. Kokebe Tewelde, followed by a brief silence.

All the faithful processed towards the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help lined up in four rows, praying the Rosary, singing and chanting together in splendor and joyful mood. On arrival at the cathedral of our lady of perpetual help, his grace opened the great door of the cathedral and all the people of God entered being blessed by the Archbishop.

Before opening the door of the Cathedral, Archbishop Menghisteab gave a short notice to the faithful about the sign & meaning of the opening door of the cathedral.

“The meaning of the opening of the great door of the church is a sign of the opening of our hearts. The gateway to our salvation is to allow Christ to enter our hearts, our parishes, and our monasteries. This year is a year of repentance, reconciliation and salvation,” he said.

After this the Lord’s Prayer and the Jubilee Year Prayer were recited together and his grace opened the great door, and all the people entered the church with joy, being blessed by the Archbishop through one door.

Archbishop Menghisteab presided over the Holy Mass, accompanied by 25 concelebrant priests. After reading the Gospel, Most Rev. Menghisteab delivered an inspiring and encouraging message to the crowd, who filled not only the church but also the compound of the cathedral, about the meaning of the Jubilee Year, opening the great door of mercy and the spirituality we should follow.

He said “In this holy year, we are given the opportunity to strengthen our faith, raise our hope and ignite our love. Jubilee is a year of repentance and forgiveness of sins, a year of reconciliation and peace, and a year of salvation. During this holy year we are expected to be full of hope for

ourselves and to be a sign of hope for others, as we are called Pilgrims of Hope.”

Pope Francis declared a Jubilee Year to be from December 24, 2024 to December 28, 2025. Based on this declaration his grace Archbishop Menghisteab issued an official letter entitled ‘Hope is Not Ashamed, Marana Ta! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus’ explaining the procedures for the Jubilee Year saying, “May 2025 be a year of joy, thanksgiving, repentance and reconciliation, a year of spiritual growth and salvation.”

In accordance with the instructions given by this message, a three-day preparatory program of prayer conducted in all parishes and on Sunday December 29, 2024 all the faithful in Asmara attended Holy Mass in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral.