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Jubilee 2025

What is a Jubilee Year?

A Jubilee Year is intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.

 

In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII called the first Jubilee, also known as a “Holy Year,” since it is a time in which God's holiness transforms us. The frequency of Holy Years has changed over time: at first, they were celebrated every 100 years; later, in 1343 Pope Clement VI reduced the gap between Jubilees to every 50 years, and in 1470 Pope Paul II made it every 25 years. There have also been “extraordinary” Holy Years: for example, in 1933 Pope Pius XI chose to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of the Redemption, and in 2015 Pope Francis proclaimed the Year of Mercy as an extraordinary jubilee.

 

The way in which Jubilee Years are marked has also changed through the centuries: originally the Holy Year consisted of a pilgrimage to the Roman Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul, later other signs were added, such as the Holy Door. By participating in the Holy Year, one is granted a plenary indulgence.

Link: What is the Jubilee?

From Pope Francis

Letter of the Holy Father Francis

"The Jubilee has always been an event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church. Ever since 1300, when Boniface VIII instituted the first Holy Year – initially celebrated every hundred years, then, following its biblical precedent, every fifty years, and finally every twenty-five years – God’s holy and faithful people has experienced this celebration as a special gift of grace, characterized by the forgiveness of sins and in particular by the indulgence, which is a full expression of the mercy of God. The faithful, frequently at the conclusion of a lengthy pilgrimage, draw from the spiritual treasury of the Church by passing through the Holy Door and venerating the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul preserved in Roman basilicas. Down the centuries, millions upon millions of pilgrims have journeyed to these sacred places, bearing living witness to the faith professed in every age."

From Bishop Fabbro & Bishop McGrattan

Letter to the Faithful on a Time of Prayer in Preparation for Jubilee 2025 - Bishop R. P. Fabbro, CSB

"In January, Pope Francis invited all the world to join in prayer in preparation for the coming Holy Year, Jubilee 2025. It has been the tradition since 1300 for popes to proclaim specific years as a “Jubilee Year”. Wishing that the faithful could experience the graces of a Holy Year more frequently, later popes have proclaimed a Jubilee every 25 years as well as extraordinary Holy Years with particular themes. Many will remember St. John Paul’s Year of Mary, Pope Benedict’s Year of Faith and Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy. The theme for Jubilee 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope”. Having reached the conclusion of our own diocesan Year of Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood, it is time now to turn our minds and hearts to the coming Jubilee in union with Catholics worldwide."

From Bishop William T. McGrattan, President of the Canadian Council of Canadian Bishops:

Bishop McGrattan expressed great enthusiasm for the upcoming Jubilee year, stating, “The Jubilee Year 2025 offers a unique opportunity for renewal and reflection within the local and universal Church, that is inviting all the faithful to walk together on our communal path of faith as ‘Pilgrim of Hope’. We are committed to fostering this journey through meaningful events and resources.”

  • YouTube

WATCH: The Opening of the Jubilee Year Mass Video

On Sunday, December 29th, 2024, we celebrated the launch of the Jubilee Year with

Bishop R. P. Fabbro at St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica.

To watch the Opening of the Jubilee Year Mass with Bishop Fabbro presiding, click here.

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