The Hope of Forgiveness

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, by now all the Holy Doors have been opened in Rome. Like the Magi, guided by a star to Bethlehem to worship the Messiah, we continue our journey through this Holy Year guided by Christian hope. Here’s how you can participate more fully in this period of renewal and obtain the Jubilee Indulgence, wherever you are:

Pardon and reconciliation is the aim of the Holy Year. For Catholics, penance is a path which leads us to an encounter with the mercy of God. Passing through the Holy Door is seen as a step towards forgiveness and healing. In Lent last year, a conference was held in Rome for recently ordained priests, in preparation for the Jubilee Year, with an emphasis on the correct and generous administration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). This took place at the Apostolic Penitentiary, which is the Vatican’s “Court of Mercy”, responsible for matters relating to the “Internal Forum” and the granting Indulgences, intimately connected to the effects of penance. God has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church (cf. 2 Cor 5: 18-21).

The Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica, Rome

Indulgences: An indulgence is the remission of temporal punishment as a result of sins committed but already confessed. Sin has its consequences, both for the individual and the community. That is why we confess our sins to a priest, who acts as an ambassador of Christ, and represents the Church, assigning a penance to the penitent in the confessional, as part of the satisfaction for sins. We should never doubt that we are forgiven in Confession. Atoning for our sins, which we have confessed, takes place either in this life or in Purgatory, through penance. Fulfilling one's penance means taking responsbility for the consequences of one's sinful acts, trusting in the loving Lord, in whom justice and mercy meet. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC, nn. 1471-1479) explains Indulgences in reference to the merits of Christ and the saints: '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’ (n. 1471).

Indulgences, which are free, can be applied to the living and the dead, and are received by those truly sorrowful, inspiring works of mercy within them. Of course, we cannot deny the controversy surrounding Indulgences given the abuses and misconceptions of the past. In the lingua of the Jubilee, we could try to understand Indulgences as the sure hope of forgiveness. The normal way to obtain an Indulgence is detachment from all sin, sacramental confession, the reception of Holy Communion and the prayer for the intentions of the Pope (usually an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be). Indulgences are either Partial or Plenary, as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin. Indulgences are associated with certain devotions, such as the First Friday, as well as the observance of certain feasts, and in particular, the Jubilee Year.

"Crossing the Threshold of Hope"
6 January 2025 

The Jubilee Indulgence: Coinciding with the official announcement of the Holy Year 2025, a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary set out the norms for obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence, a plenary indulgence:

Pilgrimages: to Rome, at least one of the four major basilicas; to the Holy Land; or to other ecclesiastical areas such as a cathedral, some church or sacred place designated by the bishop for the Jubilee; the plenary indulgence can be obtained here in the usual way.

Pious Visits to Sacred Places: like a designated Jubilee site in Rome or in other places of the world (in Italy, Assisi, Loreto, Pompei, Padua; or any minor basilica, cathedral church, co-cathedral church or Marian Shrine). Here the pilgrim should spend some time in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, Profession of Faith and an invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Works of Mercy and Penance: the fruit of penance, and indeed the Jubilee Indulgence, is mercy. Noting the penitential character of Fridays, the Vatican has encouraged the faithful to carry out the traditional corporal and spiritual works of mercy (cf. Mt 25:31-45). We can recall here the words of Mother Teresa, the Saint of Calcutta, ‘At the end of our life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in”’. Hope produces charity in the hearts of those who have obtained the grace of God’s forgiveness, 'bearing fruit that will last' (Jn 15:16).

Fasting: In the age of social media, the faithful are encouraged to fast at least one day of the week from "futile distractions" (such as social media, television, video games, certain phone apps). Holy Year challenge accepted?!

Diocesan or parish jubilee events: participating in spiritual exercises, missions, or formation activities based on the documents of the Second Vatican Council or the CCC. This brings the Jubilee into our local churches and parish communities.

Indulgences can be applied to the faithful departed, in particular the holy souls in purgatory, who died in the hope of the resurrection. Having confessed their sins, they are undergoing a period of purification before entering fully into the beatific vision and everlasting communion with God. Since we believe in the “Communion of Saints”, we can help them with our prayers and sacrifices, just as Our Lady and the saints assist us with their prayers before the throne of God in heaven. In the Jubilee Year, a double indulgence is granted per day, when a second act of charity is carried out on behalf of the souls in purgatory, for the faithful who, receiving Holy Communion, apply it to the deceased.

This is how the CCC summaries the Church's teaching on the practice and application of Indulgences: ‘The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man"’ (CCC 1473). The decree on the Jubilee Indulgences, then, brings together all the major themes of a Holy Year: Pilgrimage (to designated sacred places), the Holy Door (in Rome), Reconciliation (Confession), Prayer (for the Holy Father's Intentions), Liturgy (especially the Eucharist), the Profession of Faith (the Apostles Creed), and Indulgences (which leads to Charity). 

In the Diocese of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), where the Holy Year will be solemnly inaugurated on Friday, 10 January 2025, Bishop Zungu has designated the following places of pilgrimage for the Jubilee: St Augustine’s Cathedral and St Luke’s Retreat Centre in the deanery of Port Elizabeth; Immaculate Conception and St Pius Retreat Centre in the deanery of East London; Sacred Heart on Albert Street in Qonce, St Patrick’s in Makhanda and the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven in Sommerset East for Border/Midlands deaneries respectively.

The Jubilee Indulgence, then, can be obtained by those who may not be able to make a pilgrimage to Rome or pass through the Holy Doors here. It is, after all, a year of hope for all the faithful. By simply and sincerely making recourse to the treasures of our faith, a door of hope is opened to all.

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

6 January 2025

The Epiphany of the Lord

A Christmas of Hope

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, the Holy Year 2025 was solemnly inaugurated with the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, the reason for our hope:

Like many of you, I watched the Opening of the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica (the first of the five doors of the Jubilee Year to be opened) live from Northern Italy, where I am assisting at a parish with the ministry of reconciliation (Confessions) and other pastoral activities which formed part of their preparations for Christmas and the New Year, and indeed, for the Holy Year.

I was struck by the aura of silence and the expectation of the pilgrims of hope who filed into the Basilica, prayerfully listening to the messianic prophecies of old, which set the tone for this Christmas of Hope. It seemed like the word hope was on the minds of all, and perhaps also the wonder with which the poor and lowly Shepherds made their way to the grotto of Bethlehem for that first Christmas (cf. Lk 2:15-20). 

Seeing the visuals of St Peter's Square, I could just imagine how cold it must've been. The newly installed lights, in time for the Jubilee, spoke of the light which hope brings to a darkened world, leading from the Piazza into the Via Conciliazione, and from there, to the city and to the world. Christ, our hope, has been born for us. There is hope for his flock scattered throughout the world. This hope is not some illusion but rather concrete, it has a name and a face, the Lord Jesus. St John the Evangelist, who gave us the language to speak about the mystery of the Word made flesh, puts it this way: 

‘What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life - for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us - what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ’ (1 John 1: 1-3).

The inaugurating ceremony preceding the Christmas Eve Mass, was simple, yet rich with symbolism typical of the Roman liturgy. The Gospel of John 10:7-10 where Jesus declares, ‘I am the door”, seemed appropriate for that long-anticipated moment. Jesus is the door of salvation and the Church, the universal sacrament of salvation, is open to all, signified in a powerful way by the opening of the Holy Door at one of the most famous basilicas of Rome. Despite his mobility challenges, Pope Francis became the first pilgrim to cross the threshold of hope, opening the Holy Door and thus solemnly initiating the Ordinary Jubilee 2025, a time of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Opening of the Holy Door
Photo Courtesy of Vatican News

The image of the Pope in front of the Holy Door in a wheelchair will remain iconic. In his first message of the Jubilee, the Pope spoke boldly about Christian hope: ‘With the opening of the Holy Door we have inaugurated a new Jubilee, and each of us can enter into the mystery of this extraordinary event. Tonight, the door of hope has opened wide to the world. Tonight, God speaks to each of us and says: there is hope also for you! There is hope for each of us’. 

The Holy Father also explained what the Jubilee is really about, reiterating the plea which he made in the Bull of Indiction: ‘The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to the transformation of our world, so that this year may truly become a time of jubilation. A jubilee for our mother Earth, disfigured by profiteering; a time of jubilee for the poorer countries burdened beneath unfair debts; a time of jubilee for all those who are in bondage to forms of slavery old and new’. 

The Pope continued his homily dedicated to the theme of the Jubilee by declaring: ‘This is our hope. God is Emmanuel, God-with-us. The infinitely great has made himself tiny; divine light has shone amid the darkness of our world; the glory of heaven has appeared on earth. And how? As a little child. If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever. Hope does not disappoint’!

It is providential that the Opening of the Holy Door was followed by the Holy Mass. At every Eucharist, Jesus, who humbled himself to be born in a stable, humbly descends onto the Altar, in the form of bread and wine, giving us hope for eternal life. St Francis of Assisi, who created the first Nativity Scene, was inspired by this sentiment and overwhelmed by this mystery. And this is why we celebrate the “Christ-Mass”. 

At the Holy Mass at Dawn on Christmas Day, I asked the Congregation to pray for all those who have lost hope...those who cannot see beyond the darkness of night to a bright new dawn; to think of the many people, especially children, who went to bed the previous evening not knowing whether they would survive the night; for those whom a day of celebration would be filled with suffering as a result of war, in this world of sin and strife, a world hungry for justice and peace, which only Christ can bring.

For the first time ever, in the 700-year tradition of Jubilee Years, a Holy Door was opened at Rebibbia prison, the largest in Italy, on St Stephen's Day (26 December). Donning a red cope, Pope Francis got up from his wheelchair and actually walked through the Holy Door of the prison chapel, later explaining the significance of this gesture – hope, like an anchor, is for everyone. 

In the coming days the remaining three doors will be opened by the Archpriests of the Papal Basilicas of St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul outside the Walls. I am looking forward to passing through at least one of them in order to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence (which I wish to explore in my next blog entry). 

With open doors, and open hearts filled with compassion, every day can be a "little Christmas", bringing hope and joy to the world!

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

27 December 2024 

Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist

Cry Hope!

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, a reflection on the “Great O Antiphons” as we continue our countdown to the Jubilee 2025:

Liturgically, we are moving into the second part of Advent (17-23 December). By now you may have noticed that the first part of this season focussed on the end of time, when Christ will come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead. Over the next seven days, the focus will be on the first coming of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem.

The Nativity Scene at the Vatican 2024
From Grado, a Lagoon Centre
in the province of Gorizia

Following an ancient tradition, the Church prepares in earnest for the Nativity of Our Lord with the “O Antiphons” (taking its name from the first word of the antiphons). It is most commonly found in the Advent Hymn appropriate for this time, "O come, o come, Emmanuel". You may also encounter these invocations in some format as the Gospel Acclamation at Mass every day this week. The “O Antiphons” are used in their original form by those who recite the Liturgy of the Hours, during Vespers (Evening Prayer), with the singing of the Magnificat, which was Our Lady’s song of praise to God, who had remembered his mercy (cf. Luke 1:46-55).

In a similar way, the “O Antiphons” bring together the hope of all the ages. These antiphons capture the longing for salvation of the People of God, by making reference to some Old Testament Messianic hopes, like that of Isaiah (11:1-3),

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse…on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is his delight.

The “O Antiphons”, ever ancient, ever new, also express the deepest longings and desires of our own time, helping us to join that cry of the Church echoed throughout the ages, Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Try repeating these antiphons quietly even outside the Liturgy, in a prayerful and meditative way, as part of your personal prayer this Advent, and discover again the reason for the season. In this way, we would be making a pilgrimage of hope to Christmas, as we await the birth of the Saviour, who always remains true to his promises.

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

17 December 2024

----------------------------------------

The “O Antiphons”

Taken from https://www.usccb.org/prayers/o-antiphons-advent

 

December 17

O Sapientia!

O Wisdom of our God Most High,

guiding creation with power and love:

come to teach us the path of knowledge!

December 18

O Adonai! 

O Leader of the House of Israel,

giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:

come to rescue us with your mighty power!

 

December 19

O Radix Jesse!

O Root of Jesse’s stem,

sign of God’s love for all his people:

come to save us without delay!

 

December 20

O Clavis David!

O Key of David,

opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:

come and free the prisoners of darkness!

 

December 21

O Oriens!

O Radiant Dawn,

splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.

 

December 22

O Rex Gentium! 

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:

come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

 

December 23

O Emmanuel!

O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:

come to save us, Lord our God!

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

175 Years of Hope

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, I thought I’d interrupt my planned series of reflections on the upcoming Holy Year, to pay tribute to a special group of women religious, the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption.

Today marks 175 years since the arrival of the first group of nuns on South African soil, under the leadership of the 27-year-old Sr Gertrude de Henningsen (Read more about Mother Gertrude and the MSA, in the November Southern Cross). They were part of a rather new Congregation, the Religious of the Assumption, which had been founded 10 years earlier in Paris, France, by St Marie Eugenie. Their charism was the education of young girls while rebuilding the church following the French Revolution. Destined for Grahamstown (now Makhanda), where they would arrive on 15 December 1849, they became pioneering missionaries, having accepted the invitation of Bishop Aidan Devereux of the Eastern Vicariate of the Cape of Good Hope (now the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, Gqeberha). This was a rural farming district, culturally volatile and on the brink of a territorial war. The brave Sr Getrude decided to remain in Grahamstown against all odds. The Congregation would eventually break away from their Order in France, becoming the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption (MSA); their motto, “Thy Kingdom Come”. Mother Getrude is said to have encouraged the steady growing Congregation to give themselves unreservedly to God, becoming a docile instrument in his hands.

Crest of the MSA
(Courtesy: MSA Facebook)

Roughly 200 years before their arrival, the practice of the Catholic faith in South Africa had been prohibited successively under Dutch and British colonial rule. Now that the Catholic Church had been emancipated in the Netherlands, England and Ireland, and consequently in South Africa, the MSA came to support the local Catholics joining the missionary fervour of those early bishops and priests who were set on establishing the church here. They went on from their humble beginnings in Grahamstown to establish schools and provide health care in other parts of the diocese, as well as other parts of the country and even beyond, moving, as it were, along the route which the evangelising mission was tracing on the southern-most tip of Africa.

It is here where their connection with Schauderville deserves a mention. Following the displacement of many communities as a result of the Group Areas Act in the 1950s, the MSA moved into what would become the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. In fact, they were part of “Schauder Township” from its inception even before the church of St James was built. You can imagine the difficulties experienced by a group of mainly Irish women living among the people under the draconian Apartheid rule. They adopted a policy of non-discrimination, serving all people despite their race, class or creed. They served the community with devotion until they relinquished the convent to the expanding St Teresa’s Primary School. Together with St James High School, it stands as a testimony of their contribution to education in our country.

One should also acknowledge the role which our Diocese played in the expansion of religious life in the local church. Shortly after the arrival of the MSA, Bishop Devereux invited the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who went on to evangelise large parts of the country. Later, Bishop Ricards would invite the Trappists (and perhaps even the Jesuits) to Dunbrody near Addo, who became the Mariannhill Missionaries under Abbot Franz Pfanner. Other Congregations of women religious, like the Dominicans, would follow suite. The group from Augsburg, Germany, would become the King Williams Town Dominicans. These were all missionaries of hope. 

I stumbled across a Mass of Thanksgiving live from St Augustine’s Cathedral while scrolling through Facebook a few of weeks ago. One of the sisters was sharing how Sr Gerturde and her companions gave thanks to God in that very place following a difficult journey of three months by sea. This is itself an image of the Church setting out on mission in the world, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the ends of the earth (cf. Mt 28:16ff). 

Some of the Sisters following the
Mass of Thanksgiving
(Courtesy: St Augustine's PE Facebook)

The MSA have always been a relatively small Congregation. Under the patronage of Our Lady assumed into heaven, they have adapted to the changes facing religious life today, opening the way for local vocations. They offer us a lasting example of faith and perseverance as we live out our own mission of hope in an age of despair.

 

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

3 December 2024

Memorial of St Francis Xavier, Co-Patron of Mission

On the Threshold of the Holy Year 2025

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, I invite you to read my first ever blog entry, as we embark on our Advent journey, in the context of the ongoing Year of Prayer, in preparation for the Jubilee 2025:

Rome gets ready: The excitement is tangible around Rome as the final preparations are carried out for the Jubilee Year. Construction work on the roads and railway lines from the city’s central station, Roma Termini, to the Vatican, shows that Rome, indeed, wasn’t built in one day. In fact, the Eternal City seems to be getting a major “face-lift”! Well, with all roads leading to Rome for the Holy Year, one would expect the basilicas and shrines to be ready to welcome the estimated 35 million pilgrims said to descend on the “Caput Mundi”. In the midst of it all, we should not neglect the interior spiritual preparation we have been invited to embark upon in this Year of Prayer leading up to the Jubilee.

The Holy Door: The Vatican has since clarified that, unlike the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015, only the Holy Doors of Rome will be opened for the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025. In addition to the four major basilicas, Pope Francis will open a Holy Door in Rome’s Rebibbia Prison. So, if part of your Christmas traditions includes watching “Midnight Mass” live from the Vatican, there will be a special feature this year, the opening of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica. With this, the Jubilee Year officially would have commenced, following a tradition dating back to the 1300s, when Popes started proclaiming Jubilees every 25 or 50 years. The Jubilee 2025 will also lead us to the year 2033 when we will celebrate 2000 years of Redemption through the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The risen Christ is our hope (cf. 1 Cor 15:12).

Hope for all: Often during my visits to the various basilicas and churches of Rome, I post some pictures on my social media platforms. I once received this comment, “what’s behind that door, Father?” It was a picture of the concrete slab behind the Holy Door of St Peter’s. Browsing through YouTube, I am not sure which of the last two Ordinary Jubilee Years was more dramatic, 1975, when some of the debris hit Pope Paul VI as the cement was being struck down, or, in 2000, when the ailing Pope John Paul II knelt in front of the Holy Door. This must’ve contributed something to their cause for sainthood!

The Holy Door
of the Basilica of St John Lateran

Before St John Paul II led the Church into the Great Jubilee 2000, he chose “Crossing the Threshold of Hope” as the title of a book interview with the noted Italian publisher, Arnoldo Mondadori (incidentally, in 1994). With the upcoming Jubilee, we are therefore, on the threshold of hope. Having lived through the highs and lows of the first quarter of the Third Millenium, it is now the opportune time to rediscover the virtue of hope. This holds true for the entire Church and the whole world. In South Africa, as we celebrate 30 years of democracy, we too are invited to enter into a new springtime of hope. As a nation which has passed through many struggles, we are witnesses of “hoping against hope”.

Jubilee of Hope: In the midst of numerous global crises, Pope Francis has chosen hope as the central message of the upcoming Jubilee. The Bull of Indiction, “Spes non Confundit”, given in Rome on the Solemnity of the Ascension in May this year, begins with a quotation from St Paul: “hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). This Christian hope is full of expectation of the good things to come, despite the challenges we face every day or the uncertainty we have about the future. The virtue of hope is intimately connected with the virtues of faith and love, for these are built on what we hope for, and “in hope we are saved” (Rom 8:24). 

Pope Francis greets pilgrims
after officially announcing the Jubilee Year

Advent hope: The Season of Advent, a season of hope, begins on Sunday 1 December this year. Over the next four weeks, following an old custom, many Catholic Communities will light the four candles around the Advent wreathe. It will not only count down the weeks to Christmas, but also serve as the immediate preparation for the Jubilee Year. Week after week the liturgy will recall the hope of salvation in the hearts of the Chosen People, the prophets, St John the Baptist and Our Lady, and the hope of the pilgrim People of God, who now joyfully await the coming of Our Saviour. As we prayerfully anticipate Christmas amidst the doom and gloom of our times, hope grows ever stronger in the hearts of the faithful.

How about spending this Season of Advent with the Gospel of Luke, which we will read throughout the next Liturgical Year? Some have suggested reading a chapter of the Gospel every day of December, so that by Christmas Day, one would have read Luke’s account of the life and ministry of Jesus. I’d suggest reading it backwards, starting with the events of the Passion (begin with chapters 19-24), then the public ministry of Jesus (found mostly between chapters 4-21) and ending with the Infancy Narrative (chapters 1-3). This would provide solid spiritual preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord and the Holy Year. It could even give one a new sense of hope!

The Candle of Hope

Live the Jubilee: Now, while everyone may not be able to travel to Rome during the Holy Year, we could all live the Jubilee, as pilgrims of hope, which is the motto for 2025. The most obvious way to participate in the Jubilee is to return to the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance, sources of God’s grace. Pope Francis has asked that, in dioceses around the world, “special care should be taken to prepare priests and the faithful to celebrate the sacrament of Confession and to make it readily available in its individual form”. There will also be opportunities throughout the Holy Year to obtain the Special Jubilee Indulgence, for yourself and the holy souls in purgatory. 

Everyone can thus participate in the Jubilee, for “all the baptized, with their respective charisms and ministries, are co-responsible for ensuring that manifold signs of hope bear witness to God’s presence in the world”. The Jubilee should not simply make Catholics marvel at the beauty of the Church’s patrimony, but remind us of the hope that all Christians will be one in Christ (Jn 14:7). 

In the words of Pope Francis: “For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (cf. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1)”. As the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica is opened on Christmas Eve, may our hearts be opened to the hope of all our days, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God-with-us (cf. Mt 1:23).

Join me as we continue our journey together as pilgrims of hope and explore different aspects of the Jubilee Year in my succesive blog entries! 

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

30 November 2024

Feast of St Andrew, Apostle

Official Logo of the Jubilee 2025

Holy Year Timeline: 

24 December 2024: Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, inaugurating the Ordinary Jubilee 2025.

26 December 2024: Pope Francis opens a Holy Door at Rome’s Rebibbia Prison.

29 December 2024: Opening of the Holy Door at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. On the same day, in every cathedral and co-cathedral, diocesan bishops are invited to celebrate Holy Mass for the solemn opening of the Jubilee Year [note, this may vary according the pastoral situation in the particular churches].

1 January 2025: Opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

5 January 2025: Opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.

28 December 2025: Closing of the last three Holy Doors and conclusion of the Holy Year in dioceses.

6 January 2026: Conclusion of the Ordinary Jubilee with the closing of the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Peter.

Useful Links:

The Bull of Indiction can be accessed in the following link:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/20240509_spes-non-confundit_bolla-giubileo2025.html

Read more about the Jubilee Indulgence here:

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/tribunals/apost_penit/documents/rc_penitenzieria-ap_20240513_norme-indulgenza-giubileo2025_en.html

For the full itinerary of the Holy Year, visit: 

www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/pellegrinaggio/calendario-giubileo.html