Jubilee 2025

Jubilee Years: Times of Grace and Renewal

A Jubilee Year is a special time of grace and renewal, often marked by a pilgrimage. The concept has roots in the ancient Jewish tradition, where every 50 years was a Jubilee year, a time for:

• Forgiveness: Releasing debts and restoring land to their rightful owners.
• Reconciliation: Re-establishing relationships with God, others, and the Earth.

The Gospel of Luke connects this idea to Jesus’ mission, emphasizing liberation, healing, and proclaiming good news to the poor.

Pope Boniface VIII initiated the first Catholic Jubilee in 1300. Initially celebrated every 100 years, the frequency has since been adjusted. Today, Jubilee Years are opportunities for:

• Spiritual Growth: Deepening one’s faith and relationship with God.
• Acts of Mercy: Serving others and engaging in acts of charity.
• Receiving Blessings: Participating in special events and seeking forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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The Jubilee Plenary Indulgence

One of the central elements of the holy year is the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence, a special grace offered to the faithful. The Indulgence is linked to God’s infinite mercy and is seen as a way for individuals to experience the forgiveness of sins. The Indulgence can be granted to those who are truly repentant and have purified their souls through the Sacrament of Penance and Holy Communion. It can be applied to help souls in Purgatory as well. This is how an indulgence is defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” (CCC 1471)

How to Obtain the Jubilee Indulgence

Among the various ways there are to receive the Jubilee Indulgence, Pilgrims may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence by making a devout pilgrimage to sacred places, such as the four Major Papal Basilicas in Rome or other pilgrimage sites worldwide, including Cathedral churches and other churches designated, e.g. those in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, including St. John Brebeuf Church on January 30^th or St. Ignatius Church on February 2^nd. Devoutly participating in Holy Mass and other spiritual activities like the Way of the Cross, the Marian Rosary, and celebrating the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) will help pilgrims receive the Jubilee Indulgence.

Likewise, the Jubilee Indulgence may be obtained by visiting designated sacred places for Eucharistic adoration, prayer, and meditative reflection. This can be done individually or in groups and should include praying the Our Father (Lord’s Prayer), the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, invocations to Mary, the Mother of God, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Those who cannot travel, such as the sick, elderly, or imprisoned, may receive the Jubilee Indulgence by spiritually uniting themselves with the holy year celebrations through prayer and offering up their sufferings. The faithful can receive the Jubilee Indulgence twice in one day if they receive Holy Communion a second time and have specifically carried out an act of charity for the souls in Purgatory.

For further explanation on obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence, you may consult the Catechetical Resource on Plenary Indulgences during the Jubilee Year, available for download at the bottom of this Jubilee 2025 webpage.