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.
Pope Boniface VII declared the first ordinary Jubilee in 1300, and 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
The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica is only opened during a jubilee year. The opening of these doors signals the beginning of the Holy Year. All four papal basilicas in Rome have a holy door which is also opened during a year of jubilee. The doors to St. Peter’s Basilica will be opened on December 24th, 2024, to signal the beginning of the year of Jubilee.
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, Confraternities, the Sick and Health Care Workers, Seminarians, the Poor, Catechists, Migrants, Consecrated Life, and many others! Click here for the full calendar of events.
Interested in going on a pilgrimage for one of the Jubilee celebrations? Check out these pilgrimages with Verso!
Listen to our Podcast, In Via: Navigating the Pilgrimage of Life, hosted by Joan Watson on Apple Music, Spotify, or on our website.
