A Jubilee is a special year of “remission of sins, debts adn universal pardon.” In Leviticus, a jubilee year is mentioned during which slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest. Traditions dates back to 1300 when Pope Boniface VIII called the first Jubilee, also known as a “Holy Year”, since it is a time in which God’s holiness transforms us.
The frequency of Holy Years has changed overtime; at first, they were celebrated every 100 years; later, in 1343 Pope Clement VI reduced the gap between Jubilees to every 50 years, and in 1470, Pope Paul II made it every 25years. The most recent was the Year 2000. Jubilees generally involve pilgrimage to a sacred site, normally to the eternal city of Rome.
By participating in the Holy Year, one is granted the plenary indulgence.
Jubilee 2025 will be from 24 December 2024 to 14 December 2025.
