“Pilgrims of Hope”
What is a Holy Year?
A jubilee (or holy) year is a special year of remission of sins, debts and universal pardon. In Leviticus 25, a jubilee year is mentioned to occur every 50th year; during which slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest.
In Roman Catholic tradition, a jubilee or Holy Year is a year of forgiveness of sins and also the punishment due to sin. It is a year of reconciliation between adversaries, of conversion and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, "...and consequently of solidarity, hope, justice, commitment to serve God with joy and in peace with our brothers and sisters". A jubilee can be ordinary if it falls after the set period of years or extraordinary if it is proclaimed for some outstanding event.
Holy Year Tradition
In Western Christianity, the tradition dates to 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII convoked a holy year, following which ordinary jubilees have generally been celebrated every 25 or 50 years, with extraordinary jubilees in addition depending on need. Catholic jubilees, particularly in the Latin Church, generally involve a pilgrimage to a sacred site, normally a basilica in the city of Rome. The Catholic Church declared an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy for 2015–2016. The next jubilee year commenced on 24 December 2024.
2025 Holy Year — Pilgrims of Hope
The 2025 Jubilee, “Pilgrims of Hope,” is being celebrated in the year 2025. It was announced by Pope John Paul II at the end of the Great Jubilee in 2000. Pope Francis made the previous year, 2024, a year of prayerful preparation for the 2025 Jubiliee Year.
The 2025 Holy Year began on Christmas Eve (24 December) 2024 and will continue until Epiphany (6 January) 2026. This year also marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD).
2025 Jubilee Year Events
Jubilee Indulgence
This is a plenary indulgence which, as stated by Pope Boniface VIII (c. 1230 – 11 October 1303), is the intention of the Holy See to grant in the most ample manner possible. When first conceded, such an indulgence, was a much rarer spiritual boon than it has since become. So important was the Jubilee Indulgence then regarded that the custom arose of suspending all other indulgences during the jubilee year, a practice which, with certain modifications, still exists to the present day. The precise conditions for gaining each jubilee indulgence are determined by the Roman pontiff, and they are usually announced in a special Bull. The main conditions, however, which do not usually vary, are five:
- Confession
- Communion
- Prayer for the Pope
- Complete renunciation of all attachment to sin
- Visits to the designated basilicas during a certain specified period
The first four conditions are common to all plenary indulgences. The fifth condition is fulfilled by making a certain number of visits to a basilica in Rome or a designated local churches and sometimes fasting or other works of charity.
In 2000, Pope John Paul II (the Great Jubilee) greatly liberalized the conditions for gaining the jubilee indulgence. A visit to only one of the four patriarchal basilicas in Rome was necessary (entering through the holy door). Each diocese was permitted to name a location within the diocese where the indulgence could be gained. Most dioceses simply named the local cathedral as the pilgrimage site. Multiple visits were not required. On the last full day of the jubilee, pilgrims were permitted to enter the holy door at St. Peter’s until late into the night, so that no one would be denied the opportunity to gain the indulgence. The requirements of confession, communion, prayer for the pope, and freedom from all attachment to sin remained in place, as for all plenary indulgences.
Source: Wikipedia