Jubilee Year 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope

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Jubilee Year 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope

A Jubilee Year is traditionally proclaimed by the Universal Church every 25 years. It is a particular year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, to repent of their sins and forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on the spiritual life. In the Hebrew tradition, as recorded in Leviticus, a Jubilee was celebrated every 50 years with the freeing of slaves and the forgiveness of debts. In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Christian Jubilee, and since then the Church has designated each new Jubilee as a special year of grace and forgiveness, offering the faithful an opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence.

As boldly stated in the opening words of Pope Francis' Bull of Indiction, “Spes non confundit. Hope does not disappoint,” hope is the unifying theme of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025. The Jubilee Year began with the traditional opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on December 24, 2024 by Pope Francis and continues until the closing of the Holy Door on January 6, 2026, the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. (To learn more about the tradition of the Opening and Closing of the Holy Door, read this article from the National Catholic Register.)

The 2025 Jubilee is centered on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” As His Holiness Pope Francis so beautifully expressed it: "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." During the Jubilee Year, the Pope invites every one of us to embark on a pilgrimage of hope, so that, "Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it."

To help parishes and individuals plan for the Jubilee, the Vatican has published a Jubilee Information Sheet that you can read and download here. The Vatican's Jubilee 2025 website is loaded with resources and information about Jubilee events, pilgrimages and Masses. You can also visit our own Jubilee 2025 Events Page to learn about events in the Diocese of Peterborough, including the diocesan Plenary Indulgence and Pilgrimage Churches.