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Pilgrims of Hope: 2025 Jubilee Year

The next Catholic Jubilee year will be in 2025, inspiring Catholics and even those from other faith traditions to make plans to visit the Eternal City. 2025 marks 25 years since the great Jubilee of 2000 with Pope Saint John Paul II, and 10 years since the extraordinary 2015 Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis. The Pope will lead his second Jubilee, giving it the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” beginning just before Christmas day 2024 and ending on the feast of the Epiphany in 2026. Pilgrims may want to pay heed to the following special dates:

• January 24, 2025: Jubilee of the World of Communication
• February 15, 2025: Jubilee of Artists
• April 5, 2025: Jubilee of the Sick and the World of Health Care
• May 1, 2025: Jubilee of Workers
• May 30, 2025: Jubilee of Families
• July 28, 2025: Jubilee of Youth
• October 11, 2025: Jubilee of Marian Spirituality

Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Jubilee year in 1300, and it was to be celebrated every 100 years in the Church. This was then changed to every 50 years to follow biblical tradition (Leviticus 25), and was at last changed by Pope Paul II in 1490 to be every 25 years. The Holy Year of 2025 will be the 27th ordinary Jubilee of the Catholic Church.

As can be read in Leviticus 25, a Jubilee year is a year of atonement and mercy. It is a time when debts are forgiven and conversion is widespread. It is a time set apart for the Lord, when all His people turn to Him and He bestows abundant graces. For this reason, Jubilee years are marked by the opening of the Holy Doors. These beautiful, large doors can be found in the four major basilicas of Rome: St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. These doors are only opened during Jubilee years. The doors at St. Peter’s will be opened first, to signify the open arms of the Church to her broken yet beloved faithful. Prayerful pilgrims obtain graces by walking through these doors, and by practicing a few other devotions, they may obtain the Jubilee plenary indulgence.

A plenary indulgence is the total remission of the punishment due to sin for oneself or for a deceased soul. The sacrament of penance remits the guilt of sin, while an indulgence remits its temporal punishments. The requirements for obtaining a plenary indulgence are as follows:

• Have the intention of gaining indulgence
• Receive the Sacrament of Penance
• Receive the Eucharist
• Pray for the Intentions of the Pope
• Be free from all attachment of Sin
• Perform the prescribed action of Indulgence

The prescribed action for the Jubilee indulgence varies depending on where you are. There are actions you can do in your own diocese, but in Rome you can visit one of the four major basilicas. You can also obtain the indulgence by venturing to the Holy Land and visiting the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, or the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

On top of the opening of the holy doors, there will be many exciting activities and exhibits for pilgrims to engage in. The Vatican has launched a website and a Jubilee app in order to help pilgrims prayerfully and successfully navigate their preparation for this year. Beginning in September, you can register online and get access to the “pilgrim zone” and receive a special digital “pilgrim’s card” that will get you access to Jubilee events. The Vatican is currently preparing and already has several special exhibitions lined up, and it is expected that the Shroud of Turin will also be on display. We will keep you posted.

Please join 206 Tours as we celebrate our 40th year for the pilgrimage of a lifetime in the Jubilee year of Hope, 2025! If you are interested in arranging a group pilgrimage, please let us know as soon as possible as we expect that 2025 will be very busy! We hope to see you there!

View the Full 206 Tours Pilgrimage Directory: www.206tours.com/pilgrimages