On December 24, 2024, the Feast of the Holy Family, Pope Francis opened the Holy Doors in St. Peter’s Basilica signaling the commencement of the Jubilee Year of Hope. The Holy Doors will remain open until January 6, 2026, when they will be closed and remain closed for another 25 years until the next ordinary Jubilee.
A Jubilee, or Holy Year is a year of forgiveness, a year of reconciliation between adversaries, a time of conversion and reconciliation. It is a reminder to be holy in life. Jubilees are a time of solidarity, hope, justice, and commitment to serve God. It is a year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on a pilgrimage. Above all, a Jubilee is a year of Christ. The first ordinary Jubilee was declared by Pope Boniface VII in 1300 during a time of great suffering due to war, disease, and famine throughout the world. Thousands of Christians traveled to Rome to pray in the tombs of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and to receive the Pope’s Blessing. Initially, Jubilees were to be every 100 years, but as demand for the Holy Years rose, the time in between Jubilees was shortened to every 50 years, then 33 years (to signify the earthly life of Jesus), before Pope Paul II fixed the Jubilee for every 25 years in 1470, beginning in 1475.
Pope Francis at the threshold of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica (Photo:Vatican News)
The Holy Door is the most powerful symbol of the Jubilee and it is the goal for each pilgrim to pass through it. Pope Saint John Paul II stated that passing through Holy Doors “…evokes the passage from sin to grace which every Christian is called to accomplish. Jesus said, ‘I am the door’ (John 10:7) in order to make it clear that no one can come to the Father except through Him. This designation which Jesus applies to Himself testifies to the fact that He alone is the Savior sent by the Father. There is only one way that opens wide the entrance into this life of communion with God: This is Jesus, the one and absolute way to salvation. To Him alone can the words of the psalmist be applied in full truth: ‘This is the door of the Lord where the just may enter’ (Psalm 118:20).” To pass through the Holy Door’s threshold, is to pass, through Jesus, into the presence of God.
The theme for Jubilee 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope.” Pope Francis wrote: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire...”
Jubilee calls for us to set out on a pilgrimage and to cross physical and spiritual boundaries. A Jubilee pilgrimage begins with the decision to set out to change ourselves spiritually and is enriched by the journey and the people we meet along the way. It is an experience of conversion to the holiness of God. In addition, Jubilee 2025 allows us to share the experience of those forced out of their homes to seek safety and a better life for themselves and their family.
For the faithful who are unable to travel to Rome, many cathedrals and shrines around the world are designated as places of prayer for Jubilee 2025. This includes three Redemptorist Shrines here in North America: The National Shrine of Saint John Neumann in Philadelphia, PA, The Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R. in New Orleans, LA, and The Shrine of Saint Anne Beaupre in Quebec, Canada.