St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City in November 2024. Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA — On December 24, Christmas eve, Pope Francis opened the "Holy Door" of the St. Peter's Basilica, ushering in the Jubilee year of the Catholic church. 

For Filipino Catholics who may not be able to take part in the celebration in Rome, the Vatican, in partnership with Microsoft, has opened a "digital twin" of Christendom's most famous church. 

On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis launches holy Jubilee year

Jubilee or the Holy Year occurs every 25 years and is one of the Roman Catholic church's most significant events.

FAST FACTS: Jubilee 2025

In 2025, the Vatican projects that at least 30 to 35 million pilgrims will flock Rome to participate in the celebrations. 

For most Filipinos, however, traveling to Vatican in Jubilee year is something that seems unattainable, considering the resources required to make the trip. 

To address this, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has designated local churches to serve as places of pilgrimage for the special “time of spiritual renewal and grace for the universal Church.”

Inside Vatican's Holy Year traditions: A look at final preparations for Jubilee 2025

“These sacred sites will offer the faithful an opportunity for deeper reflection, conversion, and the experience of God’s infinite mercy,” CPCP president Cardinal-elect Pablo Virgilio David had said.

The list can be seen here.

At the Manila Cathedral, the design of nativity scene incorporates an element of the "Holy Door" of the St. Peter's Basilica as a way to partake in the opening of the Jubilee year.

Jubilee 2025 ng Simbahang Katolika magsisimula sa bisperas ng Pasko

"It's not only a Holy Year per se but specified as pilgrimage of hope, that hopefully this season may at least empower more the gift of hope in each and everyone of us," Fr. Viel Bautista, vice rector of the Manila Cathedral, said in an ABS-CBN News report on Christmas eve.

Jubilee 2025 ng Simbahang Katolika magsisimula sa bisperas ng Pasko

But with the help of new technologies, specifically artificial intelligence, Filipino pilgrims now have the option to “visit” the St. Peter’s Basilica, right in the comforts of their own homes. 

A 'DIGITAL DOOR' INTO THE BASILICA

International journalists on their way to an exclusive tour of the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Nov. 9, 2024, days before the global launch of the Microsoft-powered digital twin of the religious landmark. Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News/File

In anticipation for the Jubilee year, the Vatican and Microsoft last month unveiled an online portal that would allow people worldwide to “visit” the St. Peter’s Basilica virtually and explore its architecture and history.

Religion meets AI: Vatican, Microsoft unveil 'digital twin' of St. Peter’s Basilica

Microsoft executives flew to Rome in November to launch the project called “La Basilica di San Pietro: AI-Enhanced Experience” and invited a few media organizations around the world to cover the event. ABS-CBN News was the only Philippine-based news outlet granted exclusive access to the launch.

The Vatican unveils St. Peter's Basilica AI-enhanced Experience

“The timing of this is so special. It’s coinciding with the Jubilee of the Catholic church, and on that day the Pope will open the Holy Door, and at the same time the digital door will open up,” Microsoft Vice President and Chief of Staff Carol Ann Browne told reporters in the Vatican City.

The centerpiece of the project was the interactive website that allows global visitors to experience the Basilica virtually, providing access to its history, art, and architecture through detailed 3D models and educational content.

“We’re making it more accessible… to the millions if not billions, of people around the world who will never set foot here in Rome,” Browne said.

THE DIGITAL TOURSThe Microsoft-powered digital portal gives Filipino Catholics an opportunity to virtually explore the St. Peter's Basilica in the comfort of their own homes.

Filipinos can access the "digital twin" of the St. Peter's Basilica in this link.

The Microsoft-powered online portal promises viewers a "digital experience of St. Peter's Basilica" and offers 3 journeys: 

• The Life of St. Peter

• History of the Basilica

• Explore St. Peter's Basilica

The virtual tours are available in English, Italian, French, and Spanish.The landing page of the online portal that houses the digital twin of the St. Peter's BasilicaWhile both Microsoft and Vatican officials had said that the online portal was not meant to replace an actual, physical tour of the Basilica, the digital experience will offer a unique, and frankly, better appreciation of some elements of the iconic landmark.

For one, architecture enthusiasts and historians interested in a deep dive into the intricacies of the Basilica will not be disappointed with the portal given its ultra-detailed 3D model of the structure, many of which are not even visible to physical visitors.

“We wish to bring the Basilica to the world as a gift to the people,” Father Francesco Occhetta, General Secretary of the Fratelli Tutti Foundation, told reporters in Vatican City last month.

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