Pope Francis calls to ‘set aside all fear and dread’ at launch of Holy Year

Tens of thousands of Catholics queued at the Vatican for the strictest security checks in living memory as Pope Francis began a Holy Year with a call to set aside “fear and dread”.

Francis launched the year-long religious event, also known as a jubilee, by pushing open the usually bricked up bronze Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica and passing through it, following a Mass attended by about 70,000 people in the square outside, according to a Vatican estimate.

Holy Year has long been expected to draw millions to Rome but is opening in the immediate aftermath of attacks in Paris and California.