by Brent Kostyniuk
The year 2025 is being celebrated by Catholics throughout the world as a Jubilee Year, an event which generally takes place once every 25 years.
The custom of Jubilee stems from the Old Testament when, once every 50 years, a holy year was announced with the sounding of a ram’s horn, known in Hebrew as yovel. From this the term jubilee is derived. The Jubilee was a time of liberation and restoration, underscoring the covenantal relationship between God and the Israelites. The custom of a Jubilee Year was revived by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300. Although uncertain, it is possible he was inspired by the Crusaders’ fulfilment of the long-standing dream of reclaiming the Holy Land for Christianity in 1291. Through the Jubilee, Rome symbolically became the new Jerusalem, assuming a central role in the spiritual life of the Church.
Although primarily a Roman Catholic tradition, Pope Francis has specifically invited the faithful of the Eastern Catholic Churches to participate in this Jubilee. “They, who have suffered so much, often unto death, for their fidelity to Christ and the Church, should feel especially welcome in Rome, which is a mother to them as well, which cherishes so many memories of their presence.”[1]
Responding to the invitation, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said, “Although the Jubilee Year was established for the Israeli people, its principles were adopted by the Church, because they are of universal importance and should be relevant to modern society. Therefore, the year of Jubilee, in which the Lord offers His faithful people special gifts of His grace, should be regarded as a valuable opportunity for deepened prayer and renewal, in the light of God’s word, in our relationship with God, our neighbours, and all creation. A special gift of God, this year should be the renewal of hope in the hearts of every believer and our nation.”[2]
A significant part of the Jubilee is the rite of the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. This took place on December 24, 2024 immediately before Pope Francis celebrated midnight Mass. Holy Doors were also opened at Rome’s three other major basilicas; St. John Lateran on December 29, St. Mary Major on January 1, and St. Paul’s Outside the Walls on January 5. The symbolic opening of the Holy Door in the Vatican reminds us of the words of Christ, “I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). At the conclusion of the Jubilee, the Holy Doors are formally closed and bricked over by masons.
In a parallel ceremony, on December 29, 2024, Patriarch Sviatoslav opened the Holy Door of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv. “Today the hope of Ukraine is in the One in whom there is the fullness of all blessings, our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Pope invites each of us to be a pilgrim of hope, calling us to walk through this Jubilee Door and to approach the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. By doing so, we are offered the opportunity to receive full indulgence; a complete liberation not only from sin but also from its consequences in our souls. Through this, the Church reminds us that in Christ, we find the answer to all of life’s questions. Therefore, when we speak of the search for justice, we speak of Christ Jesus.”[3]
The Patriarch also spoke about the Jubilee Year’s theme. “I congratulate you today on the upcoming calendar year, which we have now begun by opening this Jubilee Door. Pope Francis, when proclaiming the new Jubilee Year, called it the Year of Hope, pointing out that the source of Christian hope is the person of Jesus Christ, the One in whom all fullness rests, the One in whom the person of the third millennium finds anew the fulfilment of their own life’s vocation and destiny. In Christ, everything that happens to us is fulfilled; both now and in the coming year.”[4]
For Ukrainian Catholics, the central event of the Jubilee will be the celebration of a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Rome on June 28, by Patriarch Sviatoslav. Ukrainian Catholics are also encouraged to undertake pilgrimages to other shrines, including Jubilee pilgrimage shrines which have been established in Ukraine. Whatever their circumstances, all Ukrainian Catholics are called to celebrate the year by embracing the treasures of their own millennial Church heritage. As East and West unite in this Jubilee, the Church will truly be breathing through Both Lungs.
[1] A Brief Overview o the Jubilee Year, UGCC website, January 2, 2025, https://ugcc.ua/en/data/a-brief-overview-of-the-jubilee-year-1367/#:~:text=They%2C%20who%20have%20suffered%20so,many%20memories%20of%20their%20presence. (accessed February 25, 2025).
[2] Ibid.
[3] “O Jesus, Open to Us the Doors of All Heavenly Graces in This New Year”: Head of the UGCC on the Start of the 2025 Jubilee, UGCC Website, December 29, 2024, https://ugcc.ua/en/data/o-jesus-open-to-us-the-doors-of-all-heavenly-graces-in-this-new-year-head-of-the-ugcc-on-the-start-of-the-2025-jubilee-1364/ (accessed February 25, 2025).
[4] Ibid.
Photo: UGCC
