What is a Jubilee?

What is a jubilee?

The jubilee finds its source in the Old Testament. In the book of Leviticus, God said to Moses: “You will make the fiftieth year a holy year, and you will proclaim liberation for all the inhabitants of the land. It will be a jubilee for you” (Lev 25:10). Like the Shabbat, this jubilee was announced with the sound of a ram’s horn, the “yobel”, the name from which the word “jubilee” comes.

The Catholic tradition has taken up this idea of ​​a “Holy Year”. For the Hebrews, the jubilee was a privileged opportunity to return to God and practice charity. Likewise, Catholics are invited to “immerse themselves in the infinite mercy of God, return to the essence of fraternity, examine their own lives and ask the Lord to direct them towards holiness” (Conference of Bishops of France ). If the Christian is constantly called to deepen his faith, the Holy Year allows us to put the search for holiness at the heart of daily life, and to show its community and collective dimension.

What does the 2025 jubilee offer?

For this 28th Jubilee of the Church, it is Hope which is particularly highlighted. In his bubble Spes not confused (Hope does not disappoint), Pope Francis invites the faithful to become “pilgrims of hope”, drawing their hope for the future from God, without considering themselves overwhelmed by evil.

On December 24, 2024, Francis will open the “Holy Door” of St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the start of the Jubilee. The faithful will be able to pass it to live the words of Christ: “I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved” (Jn 10:9). All are invited to experience a pilgrimage, physical or interior.

*There was no jubilee in 1850; on the other hand, two extraordinary jubilees took place in 1933 and 1983 (in addition to that of 2015). So that makes 28 editions to date.