Pope Francis has designated the year 2025 as a Holy Year – A Jubilee.
What is a Holy Year?
A Year of Jubilee originated in the Mosaic Law of a Jubilee every fifty years. In 2015-6, Pope Francis extended the principle of the Holy Door by granting to every Diocese the privilege of a Holy Door in the
Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy.
2025 is part of the tradition of a Holy Year, started around 1300 when it was every 100 years, and has since become every 25 years.
Pope Pius XII declared 1950 a Holy Year, to pray especially for peace among peoples after the Second World War.
Now, Pope Francis intends this Holy Year to be a year of hope and trust for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased threats to the climate, and he is asking everyone to study again the documents of the Second Vatican Council.
“The four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, together with the Magisterium of these recent decades, will continue to provide direction and guidance to God’s holy people, so that it can press forward in its mission of bringing the joyful proclamation of the Gospel to everyone“.
Jubilee of Hope 2025
The Jubilee of Hope began on 24th December 2024 with Pope Francis opening the “holy door” in St. Peter’s Basilica, offering the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence and a year of special graces. The Jubilee of Hope will end on the feast of the Epiphany in 2026.
Most of all, from Moses until now, the Year of Jubilee is the time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with
all of creation, and it involves the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.
To that, we may still say “Amen”
The Jubilee website provides much more information about the Holy Year, calendar of events and guidance for pilgrims.
Jubliee Cross
The official Cross of the 2025 Jubilee, the central symbol of the Holy Year pilgrimage, has been revealed. The official Cross of the 2025 Holy Year will be handed to pilgrim group leaders to accompany them as they walk towards and through the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The precious cross was created by Italian master carpenter and craftsman Riccardo Izzi. The Cross will be delivered by volunteers to the various group leaders before each group of pilgrims begins the journey towards the Holy Door. The cross, which is made of fine wood and carefully hand-crafted, features, on the front, a depiction of the glorious Christ, a sign of Hope for the world, in a time of great global crises, in which men and women cry out their need for hope. On the other side of the cross is the official logo of the 2025 Jubilee, a symbol of hope for the faithful from all over the world.
Luce - the Jubliee Mascot
This character, designed by the illustrator Simone Legno, was designed with the intention of reflecting pop culture, popular among young people, and brings with it a message of hope and welcome.Luce is a pilgrim dressed as a typical traveler: a yellow anorak to protect herself from the elements, dirty boots that bear witness to the path she has already traveled, a missionary cross around her neck and the pilgrim's staff in her hand. Particularly evocative are Luce's eyes, which shine with an intense light: they symbolize the hope that is born in the heart of every pilgrim, and reflect the desire for spirituality and connection with the divine. They act as a reminder of the universal message of peace and brotherhood. The choice of a mascot like Luce is part of a broader context, aimed at reaching new generations and promoting intergenerational dialogue. The mascot not only represents the Jubilee, but is also a symbol of community, of welcome and of sharing.
Luce means 'Light' in Italian.
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Holy Year Online
The Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization, responsible for organizing the 2025 Ordinary Jubilee, has partnered with Hallow, a global Catholic prayer and meditation app.
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For the Jubilee, Hallow has made its channels available to promote the message of Hope that the Holy Year aims to convey to pilgrims worldwide.
The Hallow team will create tailored content in the main languages of the Jubilee pilgrims to prepare and spiritually support the faithful, whether they visit Rome in person or participate in the Jubilee remotely from their own homes.
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You can download 'Hallow' from the Apple Store or GooglePlay
'Hallow Prayer & Meditation App