What is a jubilee year?

The Jubilee Year is a special time for us to experience the extraordinary mercy and love of the Lord. The meaning of “jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word “yobel” or goat horn which was used to announce the year of jubilee in the Old Testament: “let the ram’s horn resound;...You shall proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 25:9-10)

Jesus announced the prefect Jubilee in the Gospel of Luke when he read the following from the scroll: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

A jubilee year recognizes our need for a reprieve from the burdens, worries and anxieties that encompass the circumstances of every day life and provides the opportunity to re-establish a proper relationship with God, one another, and all of creation. It is a chance to “reset” both on a spiritual and human level. In the Old Testament, even the land was given a reprieve from being used. At the same time, a Jubilee offers hope.

Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year in the Papal Bull Spes Non Confundit — “Hope does not disappoint”. The Pope dedicates this year to hope: a hope that does not fade, our hope in God. “May it help us to recover the CONFIDENT TRUST THAT WE REQUIRE; in the Church, in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation.” During the Holy Year, the faithful may receive a plenary indulgence through participation in the Jubilee events. These are listed in the Decree of Granting of Indulgence during the Jubilee Year 2025.