Quest'anno è un Giubileo per i cattolici. Ogni 25 anni, la Chiesa dichiara un anno giubilare come momento per i cattolici per ottenere il perdono dei propri peccati.
Il primo Giubileo fu proclamato nel 1300 da Papa Bonifacio. Per ricevere questo specifico perdono, considerato più simile a un'indulgenza plenaria, il Vaticano ha stabilito tre modi: andare a Roma e visitare una delle quattro basiliche - visitare uno dei luoghi santi del mondo e recitare una serie di preghiere - compiere gli atti di misericordia e pertinenza. Negli Stati Uniti, l'unico luogo del Giubileo è la Basilica dell'Immacolata Concezione a Washington D.C. Il Giubileo non è solo un momento per ricevere l'indulgenza plenaria, ma anche per rafforzare il rapporto tra sé stessi e Dio.
The Catholic Church has announced that 2025 will be celebrated as a Jubilee Year, a special occasion of grace and spiritual renewal that typically occurs every 25 years. Central to the Jubilee is the opportunity for the faithful to obtain a plenary indulgence — a full remission of all temporal punishment due to sin — under specific spiritual conditions. For many Catholics, it is a powerful moment of mercy and reconciliation.
A plenary indulgence is the complete forgiveness of the temporal punishment due to sin, granted by the Church through the merits of Jesus Christ and the saints. It does not forgive the guilt of sin (which is the purpose of the Sacrament of Confession), but rather the residual "debt" that remains even after absolution.
The Jubilee Year — called the Holy Year — is rooted in both Jewish and Christian traditions as a time of forgiveness, rest, and renewal. It was first declared by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 and has since become a regular feature of Church life every quarter century. Pope Francis has emphasized the Jubilee as a “Pilgrimage of Hope,” with mercy, reconciliation, and peace as its hallmarks.
To obtain a plenary indulgence at any time (including the Jubilee Year), the following general conditions must be fulfilled.
Sacramental Confession: Within about 20 days before or after performing the indulgent act. Eucharistic Communion: Receive Holy Communion in a state of grace on the day the indulgenced work is performed.
Prayer for the Intentions of the Holy Father: Usually fulfilled by praying at least one Our Father and one Hail Mary, though additional prayers are welcome. Complete Detachment from Sin: Even from venial sin. This interior disposition is necessary for the indulgence to be plenary; otherwise, it is partial.
The Vatican has shared a full list of indulgenced acts for the 2025 Jubilee Year (as outlined in the Jubilee Bull). Ways to obtain an indulgence include:
- Pilgrimage to a Jubilee Church. Visiting one of the designated Jubilee Churches — one of the four major basilicas in Rome (St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls) — and passing through the Holy Door is the most iconic Jubilee indulgenced act. For those who can’t travel internationally, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., is the only nationally designated “Jubilee site” in the U.S. While there, participate in Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary or Akathist, a penance service, or a celebration of the Word of God. If visiting the nation’s capital is not an option, visit any site close to home that has been designated for Jubilee pilgrimages by your local bishop.
- Pious visit to sacred places: Devoutly visit any Jubilee site and there, for a suitable period of time, engage in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to Mary, the Mother of God, so that in this Holy Year everyone "will come to know the closeness of Mary, the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children” (Spes non confundit, 24).
- Works of Mercy and Penance. Engaging in spiritual and corporal works of mercy (e.g., feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, forgiving offenses) with the right intention and the usual conditions can merit a plenary indulgence during the Jubilee Year.
Those who are sick, elderly, or unable to leave home can offer their sufferings or limitations as a spiritual act of union with the Church, alongside prayers and spiritual communion, to obtain the Jubilee indulgence.
A Sample Plan to Obtain a Plenary Indulgence
Choose a Day to visit a designated Jubilee Church in your area. Prepare Spiritually by making a good confession, ideally within a week of your visit. Attend Mass and receive Holy Communion on the day of your visit. Pass Through the Holy Door and spend time in prayer
— include the Creed, an Our Father, and a Hail Mary for the Pope’s intentions. Renew your resolve to avoid sin, even venial, with a sincere heart.
The Jubilee Year 2025 is not just a moment to obtain indulgences — it is a time for conversion, reconciliation, and hope. It is a personal and communal invitation to deepen your relationship with God and the Church. Whether by pilgrimage, charity, or prayer, Catholics around the world are invited to be instruments of mercy and peace — and to receive, in turn, the boundless mercy of God.
