Ordinary Jubilee Year of 2025

Pope Francis approved the motto proposed for the upcoming Jubilee Year, a motto he said, “that can be summed up in two words: Pilgrims of Hope." The motto attempts to condense the meaning of the entire Jubilee journey. The chosen words – pilgrims and hope – both represent key themes of Pope Francis' pontificate.

The Jubilee Year

Following the extraordinary 2015 Holy Year of Mercy instigated by Pope Francis, the 2025 Jubilee will take place in line with the norm of leaving a 25-year gap between each one. The most recent ordinary jubilee took place in the year 2000, as the world and the Catholic Church prepared to enter the new millennium.

The Jubilee Year is a special year of grace, in which the Church offers the faithful the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence. Traditionally, it begins just before Christmas and ends on the Epiphany of the following year.

The Pope inaugurates the Holy Year with the rite of the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica. After that, the Holy Doors of the other papal basilicas – St John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Walls, and St Mary Major – are opened and remain so until the end of the Jubilee Year.

The theme of the Jubilee in Rome is encapsulated in its motto: “Pilgrims of Hope.” Speaking of the theme chosen for the upcoming Jubilee, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of a deeper spiritual reflection on Mercy, encouraging prayer and a higher awareness of the divine will in our daily lives, through concrete actions of compassion, forgiveness, and solidarity. Furthermore, the Pope recommended that everyone dedicate 2024 to prayer, in preparation for the Jubilee, meditating on the mercy of God the Faith.

The theme is an invitation to walk together, addressed to all Christians and men, to proceed united toward a better future, based on hope, mercy and fraternity, a continuous journey in search of God and His salvation. 

The very idea of pilgrimage suggests the communal dimension of the Church: we are all on this journey together; no one is alone in their quest for salvation, in their desire to reconcile with God and neighbor. Indeed, the pilgrimage is an opportunity to witness the joy of the Gospel, share one’s faith with the world, and build a future of peace and fraternity for all.

The faithful are urged to consider during 2025:  

• hope for peace over division

• hope for enthusiasm for life and readiness to share it

• hope for the openness to life and responsible parenthood

• hope for prisoners through restorative justice

• hope for the sick and those dedicated to their care

• hope for youth and young adults

• hope for migrants and refugees

• hope for the elderly

• hope for the poor and the hungry

• hope for greater Christian unity