2025 will be a Jubilee Year, or Holy Year, in the Catholic Church, which is a year dedicated to celebration, forgiveness, and renewal. In 2025, Rome will welcome pilgrims from all over the world who come to celebrate this special occasion.
History of Jubilee
The Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year has its roots in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, where God instructed Israel to take a year of rest every 50 years, which included the forgiveness of debts and the return of the Israelites to their ancestral lands.
In 1299, thousands of pilgrims flocked to Rome in the midst of plague, war, and material hardship. The Christian faithful felt that they needed to amend their lives and seek God’s blessing in the midst of the trials they faced. Inspired by their faith, Pope Boniface VII called a year “of forgiveness of all sins” for 1300. Special graces were attached to visiting the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul. This was the first ordinary Jubilee. It soon became a tradition for pilgrims to visit Rome and to receive special blessings. The 2000 Jubilee marked the Catholic Church’s 26th ordinary Jubilee, which are typically celebrated every 25 years.
The Opening of the Holy Doors
Each of the four major basilicas in Rome has a Holy Door. The opening of these doors signals the beginning of the Holy Year. While these doors are main entrances to the basilicas, they are only open during Jubilee Years. The Holy Door at St. Peter, in fact, is bricked up by stone masons. Prior to its opening on December 24, 2024, workers will have to remove the wall that stands behind the door. The Holy Father used to ceremoniously swing a hammer at the wall. But when bits of the masonry fell dangerously close to Paul VI in 1974, now the wall is removed prior to the Christmas Eve rites.
Pilgrimage and Events
There are many Jubilee events for various groups and demographics within the Catholic Church. Some of these include the Jubilee of Artists, Deacons, Families, the Sick and Health Care Workers, Seminarians, Young People, the Poor, Catechists, Migrants, Consecrated Life, and many others! Click here for the full calendar of events.
Join us for a special webinar to learn about all of this and more!
Wednesday, October 9 at 3:00pm ET.
Register here!
Interested in going on a pilgrimage for one of the Jubilee celebrations? Check out these pilgrimages.
Heading to Rome? You need The Ultimate Guide to the Jubilee! Download it free here.
Listen to our Podcast, In Via: Navigating the Pilgrimage of Life, hosted by Joan Watson on Apple Music, Spotify, or on our website.
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You can find out more at https://www.versoministries.com/jubilee!