Jubilee Year 2025
Jubilee Year 2025
To My Dear Brother the Most Reverend Rino Fisichella,
president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization
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 has 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.
The Great Jubilee of the year 2000 ushered the Church into the third millennium of her history. Saint John Paul II had long awaited and greatly looked forward to that event, in the hope that all Christians, putting behind their historical divisions, could celebrate together the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of humanity. Now, as the first twenty-five years of the new century draw to a close, we are called to enter into a season of preparation that can enable the Christian people to experience the Holy Year in all its pastoral richness. A significant step on this journey was already taken with the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, which allowed us to appreciate anew all the power and tenderness of the Father’s merciful love, in order to become, in our turn, its witnesses.
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. Our churches remained closed, as did our schools, factories, offices, shops, and venues for recreation. All of us saw certain freedoms curtailed, while the pandemic generated feelings not only of grief, but also, at times, of doubt, fear and disorientation. The scientific community quickly developed an initial remedy that is gradually permitting us to resume our daily lives. We are fully confident that the epidemic will be overcome and that the world will return to its usual pattern of personal relationships and social life. This will happen more readily to the extent that we can demonstrate effective solidarity, so that our neighbours most in need will not be neglected, and that everyone can have access to scientific breakthroughs and the necessary medicines.
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.
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).
The spiritual dimension of the Jubilee, which calls for conversion, should also embrace these fundamental aspects of our life in society as part of a coherent whole. In the realization that all of us are pilgrims on this earth, which the Lord has charged us to till and keep (cf. Gen 2:15), may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home. It is my hope that the coming Jubilee Year will be celebrated and experienced with this intention too. Growing numbers of men and women, including many young people and children, have come to realize that care for creation is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to his will.
Our pilgrimage towards the Jubilee will express and confirm the shared journey that the Church is called to make, in order to be ever more fully a sign and instrument of unity in harmonious diversity.
To you, dear Brother, I entrust responsibility for finding suitable ways for the Holy Year to be planned and celebrated with deep faith, lively hope and active charity. The Dicastery charged with promoting the new evangelization can help make this season of grace a significant stimulus to the pastoral outreach of the particular Churches, both Latin and Eastern, which are called in these years to intensify their commitment to synodality. In this regard, our pilgrimage towards the Jubilee will express and confirm the shared journey that the Church is called to make, in order to be ever more fully a sign and instrument of unity in harmonious diversity. It will be important to foster a renewed awareness of the demands of the universal call to responsible participation by enhancing the charisms and ministries that the Holy Spirit never ceases to bestow for the building up of the one Church. The four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, together with the Magisterium of these recent decades, will continue to provide direction and guidance to God’s holy people, so that it can press forward in its mission of bringing the joyful proclamation of the Gospel to everyone.
In this time of preparation, I would greatly desire that we devote 2024, the year preceding the Jubilee event, to a great “symphony” of prayer.
As is customary, the Bull of Indiction, to be issued in due course, will contain the necessary guidelines for celebrating the Jubilee of 2025. In this time of preparation, I would greatly desire that we devote 2024, the year preceding the Jubilee event, to a great “symphony” of prayer. Prayer, above all else, to renew our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and to adore him. Prayer, moreover, to thank God for the many gifts of his love for us and to praise his work in creation, which summons everyone to respect it and to take concrete and responsible steps to protect it. Prayer as the expression of a single “heart and soul” (cf. Acts 4:32), which then translates into solidarity and the sharing of our daily bread. Prayer that makes it possible for every man and woman in this world to turn to the one God and to reveal to him what lies hidden in the depths of their heart. Prayer as the royal road to holiness, which enables us to be contemplative even in the midst of activity. In a word, may it be an intense year of prayer in which hearts are opened to receive the outpouring of God’s grace and to make the “Our Father,” the prayer Jesus taught us, the life programme of each of his disciples.
I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to accompany the Church on the journey of preparation for the grace-filled event of the Jubilee, and to you and your co-workers, with gratitude, I cordially send my Blessing.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 11 February 2022,
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes.
FRANCIS
The NRVC embraces the coming Jubilee Year as true Pilgrims of Hope committed to shining a light on our member communities who live the Jubilee spirit each day as they perform untold works of mercy to bring about healing and reconciliation to our suffering world. Please join us on our journey toward Jubilee Year 2025 in prayer and in the firm belief that God continues to call people to religious life.
In the Catholic Church, the concept of Jubilee Year was used to declare special years for forgiveness and reconciliation as expressions of God's infinite mercy. Typically they concluded with pilgrimages to Holy sites. Jubilee Years come every 25 years, an interval set by Pope Saint Paul II in the 1500s.
The 2025 Jubilee Year with the theme of “Pilgrims of Hope” is to be a year of hope and trust for a world suffering from war, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increased threats of climate change.
The forthcoming Jubilee is intended to be a call of conversion and contribute to restoring universal fraternity, human dignity through aleviation of poverty, compassion for refugees, access to resources for all members of society, care for creation.
The Ordinary Jubilee will begin with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica. Holy Doors in December 2024. The specific opening and closing dates we will be set out in the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee, which will be published according to tradition at the Feast of the Ascension, May 9, 2024.
Each of the four papal basilicas in Rome will be destination points for pilgrims, seeking special graces. In addition the traditional seven churches of St. Philip Neri will be pilgramage points as well as churches dedicated to the Women Doctors of the Church and Patrons of Europe. Tools are being prepared to guide pilgrims in Rome and promote knowledge of the works of art in the various churches. Learn more here.
Study and Prayer are key steps in preparing for the coming Jubilee.
Prayer is the breath of faith, it is its most proper expression. Like a silent cry that comes forth from the heart of those who believe and entrust themselves to God.—POPE FRANCIS
The Year of Prayer, which began on Jan. 21, 2024, is dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one's personal life, in the life of the church and in the world. It is a time to get back to basics: to discover how to pray and how to educate people in prayer so that prayer can be effective and fruitful, according to the Pope and Vatican officials.
A user's guide on the ways to pray
Full of Grace: Reclaiming the Rosary
Books on Prayer, sacramentals, and more
Themes and initiatives
The Vatican revealed the official logo of the Jubilee Year 2025, which it says, depicts humanity coming from the four corners of the Earth in the act of clinging to the Cross. The cross is in the shape of a sail, one of the signs of Christian Hope that carries with it the certainty of the victory of good over evil. A sail that imposes itself on the sea moved by the happenings of life. The cross ends in the shape of an anchor, another symbol of hope that brings confidence and security in life.
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen.
—Pope Francis
Living the Jubilee spirit includes focusing on these urgent areas:
How mercy connects to vocation
By Brother Jonathan Beebe C.S.C., Sister Camille D’Arienzo R.S.M., Sister Michelle Lesher S.S.J., and Brother William Sprauer O.S.B.
https://nrvc.net/440/publication/4977/article/10121-how-mercy-connects-to-vocation
“Reconciliation within and among religious communities,” by Sister Margaret Elleta Guider, O.S.F.
https://nrvc.net/publication/5005/article/1914
“Practicing forgiveness in vocation ministry,” by Sister Virginia Herbers, A.S.C.J.
https://nrvc.net/publication/5005/article/24028
Vocation ministers can follow St. Paul’s path toward reconciliation
By Sister Kathryn J. Hermes F.S.P
https://nrvc.net/publication/5005/article/1803-vocation-ministers-can-follow-st-paul-s-path-toward-reconciliation
Vocation ministers as ambassadors for Christ: a reconciling presence
By Cardinal Joseph Tobin C.S.S.R.
https://nrvc.net/452/publication/5005/article/1801-vocation-ministers-as-ambassadors-for-christ-a-reconciling-presence
Heaping helpings of mercy
By Alice Camille
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/592-heaping-helpings-of-mercy
Accept the gift of forgiveness
By Father Britto M. Berchmans and Caroline Hopkinson
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/330-accept-the-gift-of-forgiveness
Back in God's embrace: How to make a good Confession
By Patrice J. Tuohy
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/252-how-to-make-a-good-confession
Reason for our hope: a testimony to our life, death, and resurrection in Christ Jesus
By Sister Addie Lorraine Walker S.S.N.D.
https://nrvc.net/433/publication/4946/article/23511-reason-for-our-hope-a-testimony-to-our-life-death-and-resurrection-in-christ-jesus
Feed your spirit: Receiving the adjacent possible
By Sister Margo Ritchie C.S.J.
https://nrvc.net/433/publication/4946/article/24788-feed-your-spirit-receiving-the-adjacent-possible
What gives me hope
By Jennifer Gordon S.C.L. and Mary Catharine Perry O.P.
https://nrvc.net/publication/4946/article/4224-what-gives-me-hope
Hope in an anxious age
By Sr. Doris Gottemoeller R.S.M.
Hope in an anxious age
https://nrvc.net/publication/4946/article/2273-hope-in-an-anxious-age
Hope begins where hope begins
By Michael Downey
https://nrvc.net/publication/4946/article/3992-hope-begins-where-hope-begins
https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/segni-del-giubileo/preghiera.html
A user’s guide on the ways to pray
By Linus Mundy
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/254-a-user-s-guide-on-the-ways-to-pray
Art: A way into prayer
By Sister Penelope Martin, O.C.D.
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/437-art-a-way-into-prayer
5 ways to better prayer
By Sister Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/602-5-ways-to-better-prayer
Pray always
By Father Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I.
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/316-pray-always
8 questions and answers to your prayers
By Carol Schuck Scheiber, drawn from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/685-8-questions-and-answers-to-your-prayers
Full of grace: Reclaiming the Rosary
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/227
Profession of Faith
https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/segni-del-giubileo/professione-di-fede.html
A Creed to believe in
By Patrice J. Tuohy
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/344-a-creed-to-believe-in
10 Great things about being Catholic
By Alice Camille
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/16-ten-great-things-about-being-catholic
Laws in creation care
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/jubilee-and-gleaning-laws-in-our-creation-care/
Vocation ministry in a connected, ecologically fragile world
By Brother David Andrews, C.S.C.
https://nrvc.net/publication/5016/article/2316
What Pope Francis wants you to know about the environment
By Carol Schuck Scheiber
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/619-what-pope-francis-wants-you-to-know-about-the-environment
Vocation takes cultivation
By Sister Elizabeth Wagner
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/594-vocation-takes-cultivation
Rural religious take to the highways and byways
By Carol Schuck Scheiber
https://vocationnetwork.org/en/articles/show/670-rural-religious-take-to-the-highways-and-byways
Like a flame my hope is burning,
may my song arise to you:
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you.
Ev’ry nation, tongue, and people
find a light within your Word.
Scattered fragile sons and daughters
find a home in your dear Son.
Like a flame my hope is burning,
may my song arise to you:
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you.
God, so tender and so patient,
dawn of hope, you care for all.
Heav’n and earth are recreated
by the Spirit of Life set free.
Like a flame my hope is burning,
may my song arise to you:
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you.
Raise your eyes, the wind is blowing,
for our God is born in time.
Son made man for you and many
who will find the way in him.
Like a flame my hope is burning,
may my song arise to you:
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you.
Oct. 8-9, 2025 will be celebrated as a Jubilee for Consecrated Life with the theme of "Pilgrims of hope, on the way of peace." This special Jubilee is born out of the desire of consecrated men and women to reflect on the urgent need for peace and to answer the call to be witnesses and prophets of hope and peace, particularly on the occasion of the upcoming Jubilee.
In a message to those in consecrated life, Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, says, "Dearest consecrated men and women, let us immediately enter this pilgrimage together, bringing the true hope that is in our hearts and for which our lives are in service."
In preparation for the journey toward Jubilee, 300 representatives of the different forms of consecrated life from over 60 countries gathered in Rome. According to the Vatican, "the rich exchange will translate into a mandate to return to their countries as signs of reconciliation between men and women.
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