This year, of 2025, is the celebration of the Jubilee in the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy.
The Jubilee is celebrated every 25 years, and the Pope has declared the theme for this Jubilee “Pilgrims of Hope.” Through this, for all Catholics this year, from Christmas Eve of 2024 to the Epiphany in 2026, is a year of hope.
The tradition of the Jubilee dates back to 1300, when the Pope in that time, Pope Boniface VIII, declared a universal festival for the Catholic Church. Originally, the Jubilee was celebrated every 100 years but over time they changed it to every 25 years so that every generation could experience at least one Jubilee.
The tradition is that in the year of the jubilee there is a universal pardon of sins and debt. The tradition of the Jubilee goes far back into the Old Testament, rooted in Jewish traditions and seen in Leviticus 25. It is like the Yom Kippur where all debts are forgiven and property is return to the original owners.
To prepare for this year’s Jubilee, Rome has been reconstructing. They have been constructing more train stations and improving their subway system. To do this they have to excavate into the ground where there are ruins of ancient Rome.
Another preparation that was underway was that they took out a main road and turned it into a way for pedestrians to walk. They are taking the road and putting it underground for the traffic to go through there instead.
Rome is expecting 31 to 35 million people to come throughout the year, both tourists and pilgrims. Pilgrims will be traveling all over Italy and possibly neighboring countries.
Throughout the year the Pope will be having Masses with different groups from families, to priests, to the youth. On August 3 will be the mass with the all the youth that travel to Rome in pilgrimage for the Jubilee.
