2025 AD
The Great Jubilee of 2025, proclaimed by Pope Francis in his bull Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint), invites the entire Church and the world to a year of spiritual renewal, pilgrimage, and hope. Jubilee years (Holy Years) trace their origins to the Year of Jubilee described in Leviticus 25, when debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and the land was allowed to rest. Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Catholic Jubilee Year in 1300, and since then, Jubilees have been proclaimed regularly as occasions for special grace, pilgrimage to Rome, and the opening of the Holy Door.
The 2025 Jubilee themeβ'Pilgrims of Hope'βinvites Catholics worldwide to reflect on the meaning of hope in a world marked by conflict, uncertainty, and division. Pilgrims flock to Rome to pass through the Holy Doors of the four patriarchal basilicas (St. Peter's, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls), participate in special liturgies, and receive the Jubilee indulgence. Pope Francis has emphasized that the Jubilee should be celebrated not only in Rome but in every diocese, parish, and community around the world.
The Catholic Church sees the Jubilee as an expression of God's mercy and a call to conversion, reconciliation, and renewed commitment to the Gospel. Key Scripture: Leviticus 25; Luke 4:18-19; 2 Corinthians 6:2; CCC 1468-1473, 1488