Wed Dec 31 21:52:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, styled as you’d expect from a news outlet:
Headline: Pope Leo XIV Prays for Welcoming Rome as Jubilee Year Concludes
Rome, Vatican City – Pope Leo XIV concluded the 2025 Holy Year with a New Year’s Eve vespers service at St. Peter’s Basilica, offering prayers that Rome would become an even more welcoming city for foreigners, children, the elderly, and struggling families.
The pontiff, who assumed the papacy in May following the death of Pope Francis in April, thanked the city and its volunteers for accommodating the millions of pilgrims who traveled to Rome for the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee celebration. The Jubilee will officially conclude on January 6th.
Echoing the sentiments of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who inaugurated the Holy Year in December 2024, Pope Leo emphasized the need for Rome to be worthy of its most vulnerable citizens.
“What can we wish for Rome? That it may be worthy of its little ones… of men and women who have come from afar hoping for a dignified life,” he stated during his homily.
The service was attended by Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and other dignitaries.
The Vatican has released data indicating that 3.2 million people participated in Vatican liturgies, audiences, and Jubilee events throughout 2025, with participation numbers surging following Pope Leo’s election.
The year 2025 was also a historic year for the Vatican, marked by the first papal transition in a long time and the election of history’s first pope from the United States.
Summary:
The article reports on Pope Leo XIV’s New Year’s Eve prayer service concluding the 2025 Holy Year. He thanked Rome for hosting millions of pilgrims during the Jubilee and prayed for the city to be a welcoming place, especially for vulnerable populations. The article also mentions the success of the Jubilee, the papal transition, and the historic election of the first pope from the United States.
First Piper 