The Year of Jubilee has been an important part of Catholic tradition for centuries.
Jubilee, from the Hebrew word yobel (meaning “ram’s horn”), is described in Leviticus 25:8-13 as occurring every 50 years, offering a time of remission of debts, the return of land to its original owners, and the emancipation of slaves. The blowing of the yobel during Yom Kippur would proclaim the start of the Jubilee Year. It was a year that emphasized re-establishing a right relationship with God, one’s community, and creation itself.
Rooted in Jewish tradition, the Year of Jubilee has become a profound expression of the Catholic Church’s mission to offer mercy, forgiveness, and spiritual transformation. Over time, the period between Jubilee Years was shortened to 25 years as Popes sought to provide more opportunities for the grace of God’s mercy within a lifetime.
With his Papal Bull Spes Non Confundit, Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee of 2025 and introduced the theological virtue of hope as its central message. Quoting St. Paul, “hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5), Pope Francis frames the Jubilee as a moment for renewing trust in God’s unfailing love.
Hope is understood as a passive feeling by the prevailing materialistic worldview. Hallmark expressions of hope can fall flat and leave you hanging on mere sentiment. Like the gift of faith, the virtue of hope can be criticized as silly or misguided. Indeed, with great suffering today comes great temptation to despair about tomorrow.
In his writings, the Holy Father has always fought against despair and his Jubilee proclamation is no different. He presents the theological virtue of hope as an active movement towards God, describing the Jubilee as a time for Catholics to “press forward” with resilience, united by a hope that is “grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love” (Rom 8:39). Pope Francis calls the faithful to become “pilgrims of hope,” journeying not only to holy sites but also toward a deeper relationship with Christ and a renewed commitment to the Church’s mission of mercy and justice.
Through centuries of Jubilee celebrations, significant pilgrimage elements such as the opening of the Holy Doors symbolize this exact movement of hope into a state of grace and forgiveness. Passing through the Holy Doors in Rome’s four major basilicas remains a central act of faith for pilgrims seeking reconciliation and renewal; however, today that act of faith has been extended to pilgrimage sites all over the world, including here in Canada.
The Jubilee Year offers plenary indulgences to the faithful, granting them complete remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. This spiritual grace has been a hallmark of every Jubilee since its inception. In the Catholic Church, the conditions for obtaining this indulgence have remained consistent—confession, reception of the Eucharist, and pilgrimage to specific holy sites.
Across the country, mission dioceses are planning their own activities for the Year of Jubilee. The Diocese of Hearst-Moosonee has announced 2 pilgrimages, including one to Rome and one to the major shrines in Quebec. The Diocese of Baie-Comeau has announced a weeklong retreat at the national shrine of St. Anthony’s Hermitage. Most other dioceses are still in the planning stages and have yet to announce their own specific events for the year.
As per the Holy Father’s decree, on Sunday December 29, 2024, in every cathedral across Canada, diocesan bishops will be celebrating Mass to begin the Jubilee Year. Pope Francis encourages us to attend the opening Mass. Our individual journey to the cathedral serves to “symbolize the journey of hope that, illumined by the word of God, unites all the faithful.”
If you wish to celebrate the Jubilee Year but do not know how, you can always begin with the resources prepared by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on their website at www.cccb.ca.