March 7, 2025
News
This year brings an extraordinary event of deep spiritual and societal significance. At a time when the world faces unprecedented geopolitical tension, climate crisis, and growing social inequalities, Pope Francis has proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee Year. Its scope extends beyond believers – it carries a message of hope and renewal for all of humanity. Caritas Czech Republic, as part of the global Caritas network, joins the celebrations under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”
A Bit of History
The idea of the Jubilee originates from Jewish tradition, where every 50 years a Holy Year or Jubilee was proclaimed. It was a time when fields were left fallow, confiscated land was returned, slaves were freed, and liberty was granted to all inhabitants of the land. The word “jubilee” comes from the Hebrew “yobel,” referring to the ram’s horn whose sound announced the beginning of the Holy Year.
The jubilee from the Old Testament later gained a new, purely spiritual meaning – that anyone could receive forgiveness and rediscover their relationship with God and others.
The first official Jubilee in the Catholic Church was introduced by Pope Boniface VIII in the year 1300, allowing pilgrims to gain a plenary indulgence under certain conditions. The frequency of Jubilee Years gradually changed and was fixed at 25-year intervals starting in 1470. In addition to regular jubilees, there are also extraordinary ones declared by the Pope on especially significant occasions, such as the Year of Mercy in 2015/2016.
Holy Year 2025
The Jubilee Year begins with the proclamation of a papal bull – an official document outlining its purpose and conditions. For 2025, the bull issued by Pope Francis is titled Spes non confundit (“Hope does not disappoint”) and emphasizes themes such as peaceful coexistence, solidarity with the poor, support for migrants, and social justice – areas that the Caritas network has long focused on.
Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope.
(from the bull Spes non confundit)
The Jubilee traditionally begins in December with the opening of the Holy Doors at the Roman basilicas – St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major. This year, however, marks a historic milestone – the Holy Door was opened for the first time at Rebibbia Prison in Rome, symbolizing Francis’s effort to include all sectors of society. This gesture shows that hope and God’s mercy are for everyone, regardless of their life circumstances or societal status.
During the Holy Year, the Pope grants plenary indulgences to believers who travel to Rome and perform specific religious acts: passing through the Holy Doors, going to confession, receiving communion, praying, and engaging in acts of piety, mercy, or penance. This year, Rome is expected to receive up to 45 million pilgrims.
Pope Francis and His Vision for the Jubilee
Pope Francis is known for emphasizing social justice, environmental protection, and assistance to the most vulnerable. His long-term goal is to bring the Church closer to all people, not only practicing Catholics. He stresses that the Jubilee is not just for believers but for everyone who longs for a more just world. It is an opportunity to reflect on the values that unite us as humankind.
In a time of increasing societal polarization, rising populism, wars, and an ecological crisis threatening our planet’s future, the Jubilee extends an invitation to dialogue, reconciliation, and concrete acts of solidarity. Francis calls on all people of goodwill to participate, regardless of their faith.
The Role of Caritas in the Jubilee
Caritas Internationalis, the largest Catholic humanitarian network in the world, will use the Jubilee to strengthen its aid for the poor, the disadvantaged, and people affected by conflict. One of the key initiatives is the Turn Debt into Hope campaign, focused on easing the debt burden of the poorest countries. Activities will also continue in other key areas such as peace dialogue, social justice (including human trafficking), climate change, women's empowerment, youth engagement – and many more.
At a time when the world seems more divided than ever, the Jubilee Year 2025 offers a chance for reflection and renewal. It is not just a religious event but a call to consider how we can contribute to building a more just and united world.
Whether you are a believer or not, the message of hope and solidarity can inspire everyone. In a world full of challenges, the Jubilee Year 2025 reminds us that even in the hardest of times, hope exists – and that each of us has the power to contribute to positive change.