What is Jubilee?
A Jubilee, of Holy Year, is a special year of remission of sins, pilgrimage, coming home, and universal pardon. It is a time for conversion and spiritual renewal, the faithful are encouraged to repent, seek reconciliation through confession, and engage in acts of charity. The practice of Jubilee dates back to ancient Israel in the Old Testament, where every 50th year was to be a year of liberation, forgiveness, and return of property to its original owner. (Leviticus 25) The Jubilee began on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter's Basilica. The Jubilee year was opened at St. Patrick Cathedral in Norwich on December 29, 2024. The Jubilee will conclude on January 6, 2026.
What is the theme of Jubilee?
Pope Francis has designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope." In Pope Francis’ letter “Hope does not Disappoint”; the Pope reminds us the Jubilee is a moment to be renewed in hope, despite life's uncertainties and challenges.
Saint Paul’s teachings highlight that hope is born of love and sustained by the Holy Spirit. He acknowledges the trials and tribulations of life but emphasizes that suffering produces endurance, character, and ultimately hope. Pope Francis, also, stresses the importance of patience, especially in today's fast-paced world. “Patience, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, sustains our hope and strengthens it as a virtue and a way of life.”
Pilgrimage is a fundamental element of the Jubilee, symbolizing the quest for meaning in life. Pilgrims are encouraged to travel ancient and modern routes, visiting significant religious sites and experiencing
the grace of the Jubilee through prayer and the sacrament of Reconciliation.
What is a Holy Door?
One of the central components of the Jubilee are the Holy Doors and the 4 Papal Basilicas in Rome which will be opened during this Jubilee year. When they are opened at the beginning of the year, "the Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope" (MV, 3). Since each diocese will have the opportunity to open a Door of Mercy, all members of the faithful will have opportunity to make a pilgrimage to their local Holy Door during the Jubilee. This pilgrimage is to be a journey of walking closer with God and discovering "moment[s] of grace and spiritual renewal" (MV, 3). These doors are symbols of God's mercy, open to welcome everyone into the compassion of God's love that Christ proclaimed Jubilee. This pilgrimage is to be a journey of walking closer with God and discovering "moment[s] of grace and spiritual renewal" (MV, 3). These doors are symbols of God's mercy, open to welcome everyone into the compassion of God's love that Christ proclaimed.