PILGRIMS OF HOPE

 

"In the last two years, not a single country has been unaffected by the sudden outbreak of an epidemic that made us experience first-hand not only the tragedy of dying alone, but also the uncertainty and fleetingness of existence, and in doing so, has changed our very way of life. Together with all our brothers and sisters, we Christians endured those hardships and limitations…

We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.

 The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.

This will indeed be the case if we are capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity. Here I think in particular of the many refugees forced to abandon their native lands. 

May the voices of the poor be heard throughout this time of preparation for the Jubilee, which is meant to restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone. As the Bible teaches, “The sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired servant and the sojourner who lives with you; for your cattle also, and for the beasts that are in your land, all its yield shall be for food” (Lev 25:6-7)." (Pope Francis)

Pope Francis call for “signs of hope” in the Jubilee Year, including the desire for peace in the world, openness to life and responsible parenthood, and closeness to prisoners, the poor, the sick, the young, the elderly, migrants and people “in difficult situations.” Pope Francis calls on affluent counties to forgive the debts of countries that would never be able to repay them, and address “ecological debt,” which he describs as “connected to commercial imbalances with effects on the environment and the disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries over long periods of time.”

While many jubilee events will take place in Rome and at the Vatican, it’s a celebration for the whole Church. On Dec. 29, diocesan bishops are expected to open the Holy Year locally with Masses at their cathedrals and co-cathedrals. Catholics are encouraged to make pilgrimages to their cathedral during the year, and should watch diocesan communications for local events. While Pope Francis encouraged bishops to designate Holy Doors for their own cathedrals during the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015, there will only be Holy Doors at the Vatican and in Rome this year.

The Jubilee Year concludes with the closing of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica Jan. 6, 2026, on the feast of the Epiphany. However, the Holy Doors at Rome’s other major basilicas will close Dec. 28, 2025, the same day dioceses are to end local celebrations of the Holy Year.

A YEAR OF HOPE

2025  is a JUBILEE YEAR- which occurs every 25 years.  The theme this time is HOPE. The last ordinary holy year, the Great Jubilee Year of 2000, which took place under St. John Paul II, was one of the biggest events in the history of mankind.  Pope Francis wants this Jubilee Year to be lived as a “year of hope,”  symbolic in times when wars across the world seem to be multiplying.

From the Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Most reverend Rino Fisichella, President of the pontifical Council for the New Evangelization for the Jubilee 2025:

“The Jubilee has always been an event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church. Ever since 1300, when Boniface VIII instituted the first Holy Year – initially celebrated every hundred years, then, following its biblical precedent, every fifty years, and finally every twenty-five years – God’s holy and faithful people have experienced this celebration as a special gift of grace, characterized by the forgiveness of sins and in particular by the indulgence, which is a full expression of the mercy of God. The faithful, frequently at the conclusion of a lengthy pilgrimage, draw from the spiritual treasury of the Church by passing through the Holy Door and venerating the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul preserved in Roman basilicas. Down the centuries, millions upon millions of pilgrims have journeyed to these sacred places, bearing living witness to the faith professed in every age.”

Jubilees were started in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII,  but they trace their roots to the Jewish tradition of marking a jubilee year every 50 years.  According to the Vatican website for the jubilee, these years in Jewish history were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”

Jubilees are traditionally held every 25 years, with occasional extraordinary Jubilees for special causes. Pope Francis called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016. Jubilees include pilgrimages to Rome, indulgences for sins, and reflections on our spiritual life and forgiveness, leading us closer to Christ.

The 2025 Jubilee, with its theme of reconciliation and unity, comes at a time when the world is striving to recover from economic challenges, environmental crises, and division in society, all of which we see, not only in third world countries, but in wealthier countries, such as the USA. The Jubilee is expecting over 25 million visitors to Rome.

Jubilee 2025 opened Christmas Eve with the rite of the opening of the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican immediately before Pope Francis celebrated midnight Mass. Holy Doors were also opened at Rome’s three other major basilicas: St. John Lateran on Dec. 29, St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, and will be opened at the Benedictine St. Paul’s Outside the Walls on Jan. 5. The opening of the doors  represent the passage to salvation. 

Major events in Rome, include special liturgies, speakers and papal audiences to celebrate different groups within the Church. The first is the Jubilee of the World of Communications Jan. 24-26, followed by the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel Feb. 8-9. The jubilee also includes gatherings for artists (Feb. 15-18), deacons (Feb. 21-23). Some of these special gatherings will coincide with major canonizations, such as the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis during the Jubilee of Teenagers April 25-27, and the canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati during the Jubilee of Young People July 28-Aug. 3.

“Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope.” (Pope Francis)