In Catholic belief, the Holy Door signifies the door to salvation - the route to a new and everlasting life, which was opened to mankind by Jesus.
It also signifies a gateway to God's compassion - the ultimate and pinnacle act through which He comes to meet mankind. Mercy is "the bridge that binds God and mankind, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved eternally despite our sinfulness," the pope stated in "Misericordiae Vultus" ("The Face of Mercy"), beginning the Holy Year of Mercy.
Doors always have had a unique symbolism for the Catholic Church, according to the late-Cardinal Virgilio Noe, the former archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica.
"The door of a church indicates the division between the holy and profane, dividing the church's interior from the outside world.
It is the threshold distinguishing welcome and exclusion," he wrote in the book, The Holy Door at St. Peter's in 1999.
The door also is a symbol of Mary - the mother, the abode of the Lord - and she, too, constantly has open arms and is ready to welcome the children of God home. Pope Francis was set to open the door on Dec. 8, the feast of Mary's Immaculate Conception.
But the door notably depicts Christ Himself - the only route to everlasting life. As Jesus remarked, according to the Gospel of John (10:9), "I am the gate. Whoever comes by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture."
