Ethan Walker
A Catholic Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation celebrated by the Church every 25 years. The concept of Jubilee has its roots in the Jewish tradition and the Old Testament, specifically Leviticus, which describes it as a year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and renewal. In Catholic tradition, the Jubilee year is marked by spiritual practices such as visiting holy sites, confession, communion, prayer, and acts of mercy. The year is meant to be a time for Catholics to renew their faith and deepen their relationship with God and one another. The last Jubilee Year was in 2000, and the next one will be in 2025, which will be a time to renew ourselves as Pilgrims of Hope.
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What You'll Learn
The Jubilee year is a time of forgiveness and reconciliation
The concept of "Jubilee" originates from the Book of Leviticus in the Bible, where God commands the Israelites to celebrate a year of Jubilee every 50 years. This year was to be a time of rest for people and the earth, the cancelling of debts, and the restoration of land to the landless. In the Catholic Church, this takes the form of a year of forgiveness of sins and the punishment due to sin. It is also a year of reconciliation between adversaries, conversion, and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The year is marked by several spiritual practices, including visiting designated holy sites, confession, and performing acts of mercy. The last Ordinary Jubilee was in the year 2000, which marked the two-thousandth anniversary of Christ's birth. The next Jubilee year will be in 2025, which will be the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of Christ. Pope Francis has designated the year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope", emphasising the journey of faith and the role of hope in navigating life's challenges.
A Pope can also proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee outside of the normal cycle to address specific themes or needs within the Church. For example, Pope Francis proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016, which was a time to emphasise mercy and offer forgiveness and reconciliation.
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It occurs every 25 years
The Catholic Jubilee or Holy Year is celebrated every 25 years. This tradition has been in place since 1470 when Pope Paul II changed it from every 50 years. The year 2025 marks the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord and is a significant event for the Catholic Church, offering a time of spiritual renewal, forgiveness, and celebration.
The Jubilee Year is rooted in the biblical concept of the Hebrew word "yobel", a ram's horn blown to mark the start of the year. In the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 25, God commands the Israelites to observe a year of Jubilee every 50 years, involving the cancelling of debts, a period of rest for people and the earth, and the restoration of land to the landless. Jesus, in the Gospel of Luke, links the Jubilee to his mission of salvation, making it a central theme in the Catholic faith.
Every Jubilee Year, Catholics are invited to renew their relationship with God, with one another, and with creation. This involves spiritual practices such as visiting holy sites, performing the Sacrament of Reconciliation, engaging in acts of mercy, and deepening their prayer life and reflection on Scripture.
The Jubilee Year also holds symbolic significance. One tradition is the opening of the Holy Door, one of the usually sealed entrances to the major basilicas of Rome, which becomes a Door of Mercy during the Jubilee. This symbolises the opportunity for all who enter to experience God's love, consolation, pardon, and hope.
In addition to the Ordinary Jubilees that occur every 25 years, Popes may proclaim Extraordinary Jubilees to address specific themes or needs within the Church. For example, Pope Francis inaugurated the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016, emphasising the theme of mercy and calling for a time of healing and forgiveness.
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Pope Francis designated the 2025 Jubilee as the year of 'Pilgrims of Hope'
In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into a right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. It is celebrated by the Church every 25 years, since 1470 when Pope Paul II changed it from every 50 years.
The Jubilee Year 2025, the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord, will begin on Christmas Eve 2024 and conclude on 6 January 2026. Pope Francis designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope". The Pope has invited Catholics to renew their hope and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of earth to everyone". He has identified debt cancellation as a vital element of 2025 Jubilee celebrations, saying:
> "More than a question of generosity, this is a matter of justice."
Pope Francis has also urged people to look for signs of hope in the world and work for peace and justice. In his document proclaiming the Holy Year 2025, he said:
> "We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it."
The Vatican has published a Jubilee Information Sheet to help parishes and individuals plan for the Jubilee.
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The year is marked by spiritual practices and rituals
The year 2025 is the Jubilee Holy Year for Catholics, marking the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord. Pope Francis has given this year the theme of "Pilgrims of Hope", encouraging Catholics to renew their hope and deepen their faith. This will be an ordinary jubilee year, occurring every 25 years since 1470, when Pope Paul II changed it from every 50 years.
The Jubilee year is a time of spiritual practices and rituals for Catholics. One important ritual is the opening of the Holy Door, which symbolises a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience God's love, consolation, pardon, and hope. The Holy Door is usually one of the sealed entrances to the major basilicas of Rome, but during the Jubilee year, Holy Doors around the world at local cathedrals and shrines will also be opened.
Another significant practice during the Jubilee year is the pilgrimage to designated holy sites, such as the four major basilicas in Rome or local churches in one's diocese. This pilgrimage symbolises a journey of faith and conversion. Catholics who are unable to travel to Rome can still receive the Jubilee indulgence through special concessions, as extended by Pope Urban VIII in 1625.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also encouraged during the Jubilee year, where confession is an important aspect of receiving God's forgiveness and grace. Along with receiving the Eucharist, this sacrament is necessary to obtain an indulgence. Catholics can receive indulgences by fulfilling certain conditions, including prayers, pilgrimages, or acts of charity, which reduce or eliminate temporal punishment for sins.
Acts of Mercy, such as feeding the hungry or comforting the sorrowful, are also emphasised during the Jubilee year, reflecting Christ's love. Prayer and reflection are also important practices, as they strengthen one's relationship with God and encourage spiritual growth.
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The Jubilee year is rooted in the Book of Leviticus
The Jubilee year is a period of celebration, rejoicing, and liberation rooted in the Book of Leviticus. Leviticus 25 ordains a sabbath year, one in every seven, and a jubilee year, one in every fifty. The jubilee year is a time when all leased or mortgaged lands are returned to their original owners, and all slaves and bonded laborers are freed. This vision of liberation is based on the theological claim that both the land and its people belong to the Lord, and so both are released in the jubilee year from any other claim on them.
The jubilee year is also a time of rest for the land, as it is allowed to lie fallow, just as it does in the sabbath year. Each Israelite is to return to his ancestral land and clan. Debts are forgiven, and the land is returned to its original owners or their descendants. The jubilee year is thus a time of homecoming and liberation, as well as a time of rest and celebration.
The Book of Leviticus provides for the redemption of land and people between jubilee years. If land or people are sold to pay off debts, the nearest relative of the debtor is to redeem the land or person by buying them back. The purchase price is computed according to the years until the next jubilee year. In this way, the destitute can raise money by leasing the land without depriving future generations of the means of production.
The concept of the jubilee year has been adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, where it is also known as a Holy Year. A jubilee year in the Catholic tradition is a year of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation between adversaries. It is a time when people are invited to come back into a right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. The Catholic Church celebrates a jubilee year every 25 years, although a Pope can also proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee, such as the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2015.
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Frequently asked questions
In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into a right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. It occurs every 25 years.
The concept of "Jubilee" has its origins in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 25) as a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming home. The word "Jubilee" comes from the Hebrew word "yobel", which is a ram's horn. This wind instrument is blown to mark the start of a Jubilee Year in the Bible.
During a Jubilee Year, special blessings (including indulgences) are available to the faithful who participate in designated pilgrimages, prayers, and sacraments. Visiting designated holy sites, such as the four major basilicas in Rome or local churches in your dioceses, symbolizes a journey of faith and conversion.
An Extraordinary Jubilee is called by the Pope outside of the normal cycle to address specific themes or needs within the Church. For example, Pope Francis called the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015 to direct attention and actions towards mercy.
