Holy Year: Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope
This year has been set aside as the ‘Jubilee 2025 Holy Year’ by our Catholic Church. The theme for this Jubilee 2025 is ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’
Pope Opening the Holy Door
In journeying to a holy site or sites with the express purpose to renewal our own personal encounter with the Lord, we can become ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ to the world around us.
Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2024, at 7 pm in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, officially began this Holy Year with the rite of the Opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of St Peter. Pope Francis will close the Holy Door January 6th, 2026, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
On December 29th, 2024, at the 9:30 am Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family, Bishop Cary formally opened this Holy Year for the Diocese of Baker. Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral in Baker City is our designated diocesan pilgrimage site, with the special ‘Wooden Cross of Jubilee 2025’ being our ‘Touch Point.’ This is on the Sanctuary near the Altar. Bishop Cary will close this Holy Year for the Diocese on Sunday, December 28th, 2025, at the 9:30 am Mass.
Jubilee 2025 Logo
Pilgrims: The Church encourages us to become pilgrims during this year to sacred places. In a real way of celebration, we are encouraged to travel to Rome, the city of the Apostles Peter and Paul, or other recognized religious sites noted on the Vatican’s webpage and elsewhere. If unable, then we can travel locally to a designated church or site that has been designated as a holy pilgrimage destination by every diocese around the world.
Hope: In the official logo for this Jubilee 2025, there is an ‘anchor’ representing our ‘hope’ at the foot of the cross of Jesus. In faith, Jesus anchors us through his promises of eternal life and our becoming in glory daughters and sons of the Father, sharing through Jesus in his divine nature. As Christians, we trust in these future promises, and we hold tight to them during difficult and turbulent times (our anchor). This hope is a grace that orients us to God’s supernatural end for us, which transcends this world. As such, this hope directs all our actions.
In living our everyday lives, we are able to offer encouragement, peace and joy to the world around us if we remember that we truly are Christian ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’ This is the Pope’s sincere desire in offering this Jubilee. The world is filled with anxiety and fear of the future. We can be Jesus’ light to a dark world.
Background on a Jubilee Year
Most fundamental to any jubilee in our Catholic faith is a year of forgiveness of sin and also forgiveness of the punishment due to sin. This forgiveness is also called a ‘Jubilee Indulgence’ (below).
Historically, this celebration is derived from the Jewish jubilee year as outlined in Leviticus, a time every 50 years during which debts would be forgiven, slaves and prisoners would be freed, ancestral lands sold for debt payment would be returned, and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest. In the Catholic sense, a jubilee is a release from the debt of sin, the slavery of sin.
The Catholic jubilee also derives its efficacy from our Lord Jesus giving the power to the Apostles to forgive sins. Jesus said to the Apostles at his resurrection appearance in the upper room: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” John 20:21-23.
Indulgences can be used for yourself or, importantly, for persons who have died. Such indulgences can speed the deceased through Purgatory to more quickly enter heaven. An indulgence can be a valuable gift to our loved ones, and also to potentially help others (friends or foes).
Also fundamental to any Catholic jubilee is making a ‘pious’ pilgrimage to a holy site, intending to associate the journey as our own human quest for the meaning of our life as followers of Jesus. The intent is to make this pilgrimage in order to bring forth a renewed encounter with our Lord. We pick up our cross and follow him.
Indulgence and Conditions
A Jubilee Indulgence is a plenary indulgence, with conditions that must be met to become effective for the forgiveness of sins and punishment due to sin. There are five:
Make a pious pilgrimage during the specific period
Participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)
Make a full renunciation of attachment to sin
Participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion), and finally
Pray for the Pope’s intentions.
All indulgences encourage actions and orient deeds towards a more devote life of faith in Jesus and obedience to the Father.
Jubilee 2025 and Works of Mercy
For Jubilee 2025 Holy Year, Pope Francis has also included the ability to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if ‘with a devout spirit’, one participates in Works of Mercy and Penance (see section III is the official decree, URL below, for all the particulars). ‘In this way, the faithful will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they visit, for an appropriate amount of time, their brothers and sisters who are in need or in difficulty (the sick, prisoners, lonely elderly people, disabled people...), in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them (cf. Mt 25, 34-36) according to the usual spiritual, sacramental and prayer conditions. The faithful can repeat these visits throughout the Holy Year, even daily, acquiring a plenary indulgence each time.’
Importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Also for this Jubilee 2025 Holy Year, the Pope has asked all bishops and priests to offer generous availability and self-dedication that special access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation be available to the faithful. The importance of receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) throughout the year can not missed. We need to go to Confession on an ongoing basis throughout our lives, and Pope Francis is encouraging us by Jubilee 2025 Indulgences to renew our dedication to this valuable Sacrament given to us by Jesus.
Sources and References
“Catholic Invention?” Everything you Need to Know About the Year of Jubilee with Dr John Bergsma St Paul Center YouTube.com
This is a wonderful presentation, though at brief moments theologically deep with some technical jargon. Overall this presentation is very good, highlighting the immense importance of a Jubilee year for Christians. (Note: You may have rewind the video to the beginning)
Vatican Home Page for Jubilee 2025
Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025 SPES NON CONFUNDIT. “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5); Given May 9, 2024 Rome
Decree on the Granting of Indulgence during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 called by His Holiness Pope Francis May 13, 2024
Jubilee 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Video Jubilee 2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2 Minute Summary
The Pope's Monthly Intentions for 2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Diocese of Baker, Year of Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope
Jubilee in the Catholic Church Wikipedia