Transcript

Ep 126 - Rome Jubilee 2025: Holy Doors, Hidden Tunnels, and Pilgrim Power · Trivia Trek

HOST: Rome is unlocking doors that usually stay sealed for twenty-five years, and millions are racing to walk through them. [SFX: surprise whoosh] HOST: Today’s trek: Jubilee Rome, 2025. Question one: which basilica’s Holy Door did Pope Francis open first on Christmas Eve, 2024? Answer: Saint Peter’s Basilica. [AD_BREAK:1] HOST: Next up, pilgrim logistics. Rome expects tens of millions of visitors, but this tradition began in 1300 under Pope Boniface the Eighth. So, true or false: the first Jubilee was meant to happen every century. True. [SFX: confused bells] HOST: Then the schedule tightened. Fifty years, then twenty-five. Apparently, even medieval crowds had FOMO. [AD_BREAK:2] HOST: Here’s the twist. Beneath modern Rome sit catacombs, imperial roads, and aqueducts. Which ancient road still points pilgrims toward the city? The Appian Way. [SFX: loud footsteps] HOST: Final lightning clue: four major papal basilicas, four Holy Doors, one city-size history maze. [AD_BREAK:3] HOST: If you guessed Saint Peter’s, 1300, and the Appian Way, you’ve earned your virtual pilgrim stamp.