Be 'Pilgrims of Hope' in Jubilee Year 2025

Published: November 11, 2024

"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." — Pope Francis, letter announcing Jubilee 2025

Pope Francis is calling the faithful worldwide to be "Pilgrims of Hope" in the Jubilee Year 2025. He will begin the jubilee with a special rite to open the holy door of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Dec. 24, 2024. Other holy doors will be opened at the Rome basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. 

More than 35 million pilgrims are expected to visit the holy door along with other holy sites in Italy from Dec. 24 through the end of the jubilee year on Jan. 6, 2026. Arkansas Catholic has two pilgrimages planned next fall. Spots are still available for the Oct. 29 - Nov. 8, 2025 pilgrimage to Rome, Florence, Milan, Turin and Siena. | Learn More.

For pilgrims unable to travel to Rome, bishops around the world are designating their cathedrals and/or popular Catholic shrines as special places of prayer for holy year pilgrims, offering opportunities for reconciliation, indulgences and other events intended to strengthen and revive their faith.

In the Diocese of Little Rock, special events are planned at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, Cathedral of St. Andrew and Christ the King Church, all in Little Rock, and St. Raphael Church in Springdale. Visit our calendar to learn more or contact Father Juan Guido, diocesan director of divine worship, at frjuan@ctklr.org.

"A holy year, or jubilee, is a time of pilgrimage, prayer, repentance and acts of mercy, based on the ancient Jewish tradition of a jubilee year of rest, forgiveness and renewal. Holy years also are a time when Catholics visit designated churches and shrines, recite special prayers, go to confession and receive Communion to receive an indulgence, which is a remission of the temporal punishment due for one’s sins," explained Our Sunday Visitor.

Characteristics of Jubilee Year

The official Jubilee 2025 website explains that a jubilee is a "time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another and with all of creation." It consists of the following characteristics:

• Pilgrimage — "Pilgrimage is an experience of conversion, of transforming one's very being to conform it to the holiness of God. During the pilgrimage, one also shares in the experience of those who, for various reasons, are forced to leave their homelands to seek a better life for themselves and their family."
• Holy Door — The holy door is the "most powerful sign of the jubilee, since the ultimate aim of the pilgrim is to pass through it" ... "Passing through the holy door expresses the decision to follow and be guided by Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd."
• Reconciliation — A jubilee year is a favorable time for conversion. "Receiving the sacrament of reconciliation, taking advantage of this time to rediscover the value of confession and experiencing God's personal words of forgiveness" are key to conversion.
• Prayer — "At the root of prayer is always the desire to be open to God's presence and his offer of love." Prayer is key in pilgrimage and pilgrimage sites offer many opportunities to pray.
• Liturgy — Liturgy is the public prayer of the Church. "At the center is the Christian liturgy is the Mass — the Eucharistic celebration, where the Body and Blood of Christ are truly received." 
• Profession of Faith — “To say the creed with faith is to enter into communion with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and also with the whole Church which transmits the faith to us and in whose midst, we believe." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no 197)
• Indulgences — A jubilee indulgence is a "concrete manifestation of God's mercy, which goes beyond and transforms the boundaries of human justice." It "allows us to free our hearts from the weight of sin because the reparation due for our sins is given freely and abundantly." Learn how to receive a jubilee indulgence.

In ancient Judaism, a jubilee was a year that was declared holy. "During this period, the Mosaic law prescribed that slaves could regain their freedom, and that land, (of which God is the sole master), should be returned to its former owners. A jubilee year was typically celebrated every 50 years," according to the Jubilee 2025 website.

In the Christian era, Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first jubilee in 1,300. The frequency of jubilee celebrations varied until 1470. From that point on, jubilee years have been held every 25 years with few exceptions.

In his 2022 letter announcing the jubilee, Pope Francis focused on the need for jubilee after the global suffering endured during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"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," he wrote. "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 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," the pope added. "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."

Many resources have been made available to celebrate the holy year including a jubilee prayer, logo, hymn, calendar of major events, list of jubilee churches in rome and more. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also offers resources including a calendar, information sheet and Jubilee of Young People.