The Jubilee Year in 2025
In 2025, the Catholic Church will celebrate its next Jubilee Year—a centuries-old tradition, rich with spiritual significance. This special time is dedicated to promoting renewal, spiritual growth, mercy, and forgiveness. The Jubilee was first initiated in the Christian era by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, and is generally held every 25 years, although popes may proclaim additional Jubilees for special occasions. The last Jubilee, an
“Extraordinary” Jubilee, was declared by Pope Francis in 2016, to mark the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council.
The concept of Jubilee traces back to the Jewish tradition recorded in the Old Testament, where every 50th year was designated as a year of rest, forgiveness, and restoration (see Leviticus 25:8-13). Known as the “Year of Jubilee,” it was a time for debts to be forgiven, slaves to be freed, and land to rest. The word “Jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word ‘yōbēl’, which means “of the goat”, because the holy year was proclaimed by the sound of a goat’s horn.
For the 2025 Jubilee Year, Pope Francis has chosen the motto “Pilgrims of Hope,” inspired by the words of St Paul in Romans, “Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5). In his letter proclaiming the Jubilee, Pope Francis beautifully reflects on Christian hope:
Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril or the sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:35.37-39). Here we see the reason why this hope perseveres in the midst of trials: founded on faith and nurtured by charity, it enables us to press forward in life.
Pope Francis encourages us to deepen our faith through pilgrimage, prayer, the sacrament of Reconciliation, and works of mercy during the Jubilee year. Each of these practices embodies the year’s themes of mercy, healing, and renewal. Pilgrimage symbolises the journey of conversion and commitment to following Christ. Prayer draws us closer to God, opening hearts to His mercy and guidance. The sacrament of Reconciliation is an essential part of the Jubilee, inviting us to re-discover the value of confession, and experience God’s forgiveness in a personal, profound way. Works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual, play a central role, as we are encouraged to perform charitable acts that support those in need, bringing Christ’s compassion and justice to life. Together, these practices make the Jubilee a deeply transformative period, inviting all to renew their commitment to faith, love, and service.
In his letter proclaiming the Jubilee, Pope Francis concludes by encouraging us to hold fast to the hope that never fades, and to find in God our refuge and our strength. He says, “Let us even now be drawn to this hope! Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it. May the way we live our lives say to them in so many words: “Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart and hope in the Lord!” (Ps 27:14).
May the power of hope fill our days, as we await with confidence the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and glory, now and forever.”
