Pope Francis will celebrate the Vatican's traditional Christmas Eve midnight mass in a newly restored St. Peter's Basilica. It's one of a series of projects in Rome as the city prepares to usher in the Catholic Jubilee.

On his wheelchair, Pope Francis began the celebration of Christmas by opening the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, kicking off the 2025 Holy Year. “The steps we now take are the steps of the whole church,” the pope said.

Pilgrims are lining up to walk through the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome as Christmas marks the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration

Chris Livesay visited St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican to see the newly restored historical features. These features are now fully visible for the first time in generations as part of major preservation efforts in Rome.