Jubilee of Hope
When is the Jubilee?
On May 9, 2024, Pope Francis issued his Papal Bull “Spes Non Confundit” (Hope Does Not Disappoint). This document announced that the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025 would begin with the opening of the Holy Door at the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican on December 24, 2024, and conclude with the closing of the Holy Door on January 6, 2026. The Bull declared “Pilgrims of Hope” as the theme for the Jubilee Year.
Paragraph 24 explains how Mary is the supreme Witness to Hope.
Hope finds its supreme witness in the Mother of God. In the Blessed Virgin, we see that hope
is not naive optimism but a gift of grace amid the realities of life. Like every mother, whenever
Mary looked at her Son, she thought of his future. Surely she kept pondering in her heart the
words spoken to her in the Temple by the elderly Simeon: “This child is destined for the falling and
rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed, so that the inner thoughts of many
will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Lk 2:34-35). At the foot of the cross,
she witnessed the passion and death of Jesus, her innocent son. Overwhelmed with grief, she
nonetheless renewed her “fiat”, never abandoning her hope and trust in God. In this way, Mary
cooperated for our sake in the fulfilment of all that her Son had foretold in announcing that he
would have to “undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the
scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). In the travail of that sorrow,
offered in love, Mary became our Mother, the Mother of Hope. It is not by chance that popular
piety continues to invoke the Blessed Virgin as Stella Maris, a title that bespeaks the sure hope
that, amid the tempests of this life, the Mother of God comes to our aid, sustains us and
encourages us to persevere in hope and trust.
The following Monday, May 13, the Holy See Press Office issued the “Decree on the Granting of Indulgence During the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 Called by His Holiness Pope Francis”. This document outlines the means and conditions for obtaining the Jubilee indulgence.
What is a Jubilee?
The term “Jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word “yobel,” meaning ram’s horn, used to proclaim the Day of Atonement. It marks a special year every 50 years, as described in the Bible (Leviticus 25:8-13).
The Jubilee year is a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, others, and creation. It involves forgiveness of debts, return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for fields.
Jesus’ mission, as described in Luke 4:18-19 and Isaiah 61:1-2, aligns with the principles of the Jubilee, emphasizing liberation and conversion.
The first Christian Jubilee was called by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300. The frequency of Jubilees has changed over time, from every 100 years to every 25 years, with some extraordinary Jubilees like the Year of Mercy in 2015.
Today, the Jubilee involves pilgrimages to Roman Basilicas, the opening of the Holy Door, and the granting of plenary indulgences.
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Media
Hymn for the 2025 Jubilee - "Pilgrims of Hope"
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Diocese of Columbus Jubilee Prayer Card
