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About the Jubilee Year

The Jubilee Year holds profound significance for Catholics as a time of spiritual renewal and reconciliation. Rooted in biblical tradition and celebrated approximately every 25 years, it is an invitation to experience God’s mercy through acts of charity, confession and pilgrimage. Marked by the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2024, and activities at other designated sites, the Jubilee Year symbolizes the opening of hearts to divine grace and a recommitment to faith and community. Take a moment to explore the Jubilee Year of Hope, to learn:

Jubilees through history

Uncover historical milestones and the profound significance of the Jubilee Year!
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Jubilee
prayer

Embrace the spirit of the Jubilee Year through its heartfelt and inspiring prayer.
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Jubilee
hymn

Discover how this year’s hymn captures the essence and unity of the Jubilee.
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Jubilee FAQs

A jubilee year is a special year of grace and celebration, celebrated since biblical times. In the Old Testament, a jubilee was celebrated every 50 years as a time when Hebrew slaves were set free, debts forgiven, and land returned to its original owners. The word “jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word “yobel,” a ram’s horn that was used to signal the start of the special year. It is a time for the faithful to seek spiritual renewal, forgiveness of sins, and indulgences through specific acts of devotion and mercy. In the Catholic Church, jubilee years usually occur every 25 years. This Jubilee Year – which runs from Dec. 24, 2024 to Dec. 23, 2025 – was announced by Pope Francis in a papal bull entitled “Spes non confundit” (“Hope does not disappoint,” from Romans 5:5). The theme for the year is “Pilgrims of Hope” and is intended to promote peacebuilding and outreach through prayer, pilgrimage, reconciliation and forgiveness.

The 2025 Jubilee Year has as its central theme “Pilgrims of Hope” (taken from “Hope does not disappoint” Rom 5:5). In his papal bull Spes Nos Confundit, Pope Francis called on all people of goodwill to embrace the jubilee year as an opportunity to bring hope to the world. May this year, he wrote, be a “moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (cf. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1).”

The practice is inspired by the Jewish tradition of the jubilee found in Leviticus 25, where every 50th year was a time of rest, restoration and liberation. The Catholic Church adopted the concept starting with Pope Boniface VIII in 1300.

A papal bull is a formal, official document issued by the pope that addresses significant matters within the Catholic Church, including announcements of jubilee years. It derives its name from the Latin word “bulla,” referring to the lead seal affixed to the document to authenticate it. Papal bulls are traditionally used for the most solemn or important decrees. Pope Francis announced the Jubilee Year of Hope in a papal bull entitled “Spes non confundit” (“Hope does not disappoint,” from Romans 5:5). Learn More

Holy Doors are ceremonial doors in major basilicas, such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, that symbolize the spiritual journey from sin to salvation, mercy and renewal. Most of the time these special doors remain sealed, opened by the pope only during jubilee years. A holy door is the most powerful sign of a jubilee year, since the ultimate aim of the pilgrim is to pass through it, and walking through a Holy Door during a jubilee year is one of the conditions for receiving a Jubilee Indulgence.
During a jubilee year, Catholics can receive a plenary (full) indulgence – removing all temporal punishment for sins – in several ways. They can go on pilgrimage to any sacred Jubilee site or to other designated ecclesiastical sites and take part in a moment of prayer, participate in a liturgical celebration, or receive the sacrament of reconciliation. In the event of serious impediments, people unable to participate in a pilgrimage can obtain the Jubilee indulgence if they recite the Our Father, the Profession of Faith and other prayers compliant with the purposes of the Holy Year, offering up their sufferings. Another way to obtain an indulgence is through works of mercy and penance, mainly in the service of brothers and sisters who are burdened by various needs “in a sense making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them.”

There are two types of jubilee years:

  • Ordinary jubilees: Typically celebrated every 25 years.
  • Extraordinary jubilees: Declared by the pope for special occasions, such as the Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016, called by Pope Francis.

Jubilee years provide a unique opportunity for spiritual growth, emphasizing God’s abundant mercy and the call to live a renewed life of faith and service. During a jubilee year, Catholics are encouraged to:

  • Make pilgrimages to designated holy sites, especially in Rome
  • Pass through Holy Doors, symbolizing entering God’s mercy
  • Perform acts of penance and charity
  • Receive special indulgences by fulfilling specific spiritual acts and prayers

The Jubilee has always been an event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church.

Pope Francis, Letter for the Jubilee 2025 (Feb. 11, 2022)
Vatican Jubilee Website
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