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Pope Francis has decided that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope". The Jubilee will provide an important opportunity for people across our global family of faith to enrich their relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation offering hope and healing to a world suffering the effects of war, poverty and deprivation, and the climate crisis. Writing about the Jubilee, Pope Francis said: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given to 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… restoring a
climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth.” The Great Jubilee in the Year 2000 ushered the Church into the third millennium of her history; this Jubilee, which takes place 25 years into a new century, offers opportunities for pastoral richness, “deep faith, lively hope, and active charity”.
The first Catholic Jubilee was declared by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, to mark the beginning of a new century. He later recommended it should take place every 100 years, with Pope St Paul II establishing the present 25-year interval in the 1500s. The concept of the Jubilee or “Holy Year” is used in the Catholic Church to declare a special focus on forgiveness and reconciliation, with the theology of Jubilee centred on justice, trust and memory. God desires the just distribution of the Earth’s resources; as a result of this, the principles of the Jubilee stand against three things:
> The significant ownership of land and wealth at the expense of the wider community.
> Barriers that stop families being able to provide for themselves.
> Monopolies that destroy fair personal or family ownership.
Jesus demonstrated how the Spirit – as well as the Law – of the Jubilee should work when he challenged abusive behaviour between masters and slaves (Mark 12:1-11; Matthew 21:33- 44; 25:14-30, Luke 19:12-27; 20:9-18) and highlighted how money lending and debt should be fairly negotiated and managed (Matthew 18:23-31; Luke 7:41-43 and 16:1-9).
According to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter announcing the Jubilee, Spes Non Confundit (Hope does not Disappoint), the Jubilee Year should be characterised by a spirit of reconciliation, mercy, and conversion, echoing the core message of the Gospel which invites us to experience the love of God and encourages the faithful to reflect on their spiritual lives, engage in acts of charity, and foster a sense of community among believers.
Pope Francis writes: "Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. 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. Taking it as our guide, let us return to the message that the Apostle Paul wished to communicate to the Christians of Rome."
The Jubilee highlights the importance of pilgrimage, both physically to sacred sites and spiritually in the hearts of the faithful, offering a vibrant invitation to all Christians to renew their commitment to living out the message of Christ in their daily lives, and fostering a spirit of hope and charity in a world that yearns for healing and unity.
The Holy Year will offer people across our global faith family an important opportunity to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. In order for everyone to share in the celebration of the Holy Year, the following diocesan churches have been designated as places of pilgrimage where Holy Year Indulgences may be gained:
35 million pilgrims are expected to visit Rome in 2025, with a number of Jubilee celebrations planned in our Diocese:
Catholic charity CAFOD and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) have commissioned a special Jubilee icon from Ethiopian artist Mulugeta Araya. The icon depicts Jesus, as told in Luke 4:16-21, teaching that he has been sent to: “proclaim good news to the poor… liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” There are plans for the icon to visit every diocese in England & Wales, including ours. You can find out more about the icon here
