Gates of Mercy: Holy Doors in the Archdiocese of Toronto

Indulgences, Holy Doors and jubilees: these are among the Catholic traditions we sometimes dismiss as quirky vestiges of outdated piety, unworthy of much attention. Didn't the Church abandon indulgences? Isn't it superstitious to believe one could receive graces by walking through a doorway at a given time?

By inaugurating the Year of Mercy this past December, Pope Francis delivered an emphatic "no" to those questions. Indulgences, seldom discussed and oft-misunderstood, remain an untapped source of blessings available to each of us.

We recently visited St. Paul's Basilica, which contains one of the nine Holy Doors in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Here we encountered the faithful—young and old—who have sought the Jubilee Indulgence. To learn more about making your own pilgrimage, watch the video above, then visit www.archtoronto.org/mercy.