The Jubilee, an exceptional event celebrated every 25 years, holds a unique place in Catholic tradition. It is a year of grace, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal for the faithful. The origins of this tradition date back to the Old Testament, where the Jubilee marked a time of liberation and the return of land to its original owners. This heritage has been reinterpreted and enriched by the Catholic Church over the centuries.
In the book of Leviticus, the Jubilee was celebrated every 50 years. It was a time for debt forgiveness, the liberation of slaves, and the restoration of land, proclaimed by the sound of the shofar, a ram’s horn. It is from this Hebrew term “yobel” that the word “Jubilee” derives.
In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII inaugurated the first Christian Jubilee. Inspired by the massive influx of pilgrims to Rome at the dawn of the new century, he issued the papal bull Antiquorum fida relatio, offering a plenary indulgence to all those who would visit the basilicas of Saint Peter and Saint Paul for 15 consecutive days. This first edition was a resounding success, with over two million pilgrims visiting Rome, despite the travel challenges of the Middle Ages.
Following the success of the 1300 Jubilee, subsequent popes adapted the frequency and conditions of this event. In 1350, despite the papacy’s exile in Avignon, Pope Clement VI declared a second Jubilee and introduced the Basilica of St. John Lateran as a pilgrimage site. In 1390, Pope Urban VI reduced the Jubilee interval to 33 years to reflect the age of Christ, before Pope Paul II established the current tradition of a Jubilee every 25 years in 1470.
These celebrations also shaped the urban history of Rome. Before the 1450 Jubilee, Pope Nicholas V launched a vast city restoration program, entrusted to the architect Alberti. In 1475, Pope Sixtus IV commissioned the construction of the Sistine Chapel, which would become one of Christendom’s greatest treasures.
In addition to ordinary Jubilees, extraordinary Jubilees are sometimes proclaimed for special occasions. The 1933 Jubilee, for example, celebrated the 1,900th anniversary of Christ’s resurrection. More recently, Pope Francis declared the Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016, emphasizing divine compassion and forgiveness.
We have just entered the 2025 Jubilee, and excitement is already palpable. It is estimated that more than 30 million pilgrims will travel to Rome during this holy year. The Eternal City has adorned itself in its finest attire: iconic landmarks such as Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers and the Baldachin of St. Peter’s Basilica have been restored to welcome visitors.
This Jubilee is an opportunity for the Daughters of Wisdom to join this global wave of faith and celebrate, once again, the call to reconciliation and hope that spans centuries.
Under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”, this Jubilee invites everyone to rekindle their faith and renew the essential virtue of hope. Through teachings, prayers, and acts of charity, believers are called to let hope guide them like a beacon in times of uncertainty, thus strengthening their spiritual commitment and communion with humanity.
