The Jubilee Year 2025, on the theme Pilgrims of Hope, officially commenced on Christmas Eve with the rite of Opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter by Pope Francis, who then presided over the celebration of the Night Mass of the Lord’s Birth inside the Basilica.
A Jubilee Year is celebrated every twenty-five years by the worldwide Church during which Catholics come together to rejoice in the faith. Over the Jubilee Year, we are encouraged to show mercy, forgive past wrongs, relieve debt, to spiritually rejuvenate, and be offered an opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence.
On 29 December, across the island, bishops celebrated Mass to mark the launch of this Holy Year.
Archbishop Eamon Martin concelebrated a special Mass for the Archdiocese of Armagh which was attended by clergy, families, and young people from parishes across the Archdiocese, as well as His Excellency Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. In his homily Archbishop Martin, who presided over the Mass alongside auxiliary Bishop Michael Router, emphasised the importance of hope. Archbishop Martin said, “There couldn’t be a better time for a Jubilee Year of Hope. We live in a world where anxiety, doubt and despair often appear to have an upper hand.” The Primate reflected on the words of Pope Francis, who calls on all believers to be “fearless ambassadors of faith and hope.”
Archbishop Dermot Farrell celebrated Mass in Saint Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Archdiocese of Dublin. In his homily Archbishop Farrell said, “During the upcoming Jubilee Year you are invited to journey the pilgrim path of the four churches in the inner city – Saint Andrew’s Church on Westland Row, City Quay, Sean McDermott Street, Saint Mary’s Pro-Cathedral – and Saint Kevin’s Church, Glendalough. [These are to be] called ‘Pockets of Hope’.
“Last May, when Pope Francis issued his letter to announce the Jubilee Year, the opening of which we celebrate today, he expressed his hope that ‘the Jubilee… would be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God.’ And he continued, ‘May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation.’ (Spes Non Confundit §25)”
Writing in The Irish Times on 29 December, Bishop Fintan Monahan of Killaloe and delegate of the Irish Bishops to Jubilee 2025 in Rome, said, “The concept of Jubilee has deep roots in our biblical tradition. It is a time of giving thanks for the providence of the Lord and the fruits of the harvest. Jubilee is a time of celebration, a time of singing, sounding of trumpets, an expression of praise to God. It is a time of looking back in gratitude and anticipation of more from a God who is close to us and provides through all seasons. Jubilee is associated with rest, relaxation, reviving the spirit, a period of taking stock and planning ahead with renewed resources, rejuvenated by that celebratory time of sabbatical. It is a special time to avail of what the Church calls a plenary indulgence, an assurance of grace or favour from the Lord in response to that faith assent.”
Bishop Niall Coll celebrated Mass in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, Diocese of Ossory and in his homily Bishop Coll said, “For many life lacks meaning, direction and purpose. It is in the context of this crisis of un-hopefulness that we gather to play our part in Pope Francis’ proclamation of the 2025 Jubilee Year, aptly themed “Pilgrims of Hope.” This Jubilee invites us to address these deficiencies by embarking on a spiritual journey which seeks renewed meaning and purpose in life.
“To finish, we may ask what is the ‘hope’ that Pope Francis calls us to, in other words what might it look like in the concrete circumstances of our own lives:
- Hope looks like forgiving when you want to stay angry. It looks like being kind to someone who doesn’t deserve it, because you believe they can change.
- Hope looks like standing up for what is right, even when it costs you, because you believe justice matters.
- Hope is getting out of bed in the morning when you’re struggling and depressed and uncertain – believing – just maybe – that today might bring something new.
- Hope looks like parents raising children in a digital world, helping them to understand that their value goes beyond screens, and teaching them to find their identity in something deeper than “likes” and “comments” on social media.
- Hope looks like peacemakers who refuse to give up on reconciliation … and so much more.”
To read full homilies of Archbishop Martin, Archbishop Farrell and Bishop Coll visit CatholicBishops.ie.
ENDS
