Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your Son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
Pope Francis
2025 Jubilee
Pope Francis has announced that 2025 will be a Jubilee Year for the international Church. This celebration occurs every 25 years. The theme for the 2025 year will be “Pilgrims of Hope”. It is designed to be a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the on-going effects of COVID -19 pandemic and the climate crisis. The Year of Hope will commence on 24 December with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome.
“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given to us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and a far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen the motto of Hope”: Pope Francis.
The Jubilee has always been an event of great spiritual, ecclesial and social significance in the Church. It is a time grace, characterised by forgiveness of sins, and by the indulgence, which is a full expression of the mercy of God.
The Vatican and the city of Rome are expecting to welcome a steady stream of visitors to take part in the Jubilee, estimated to be over 35 million. Events will include the jubilee celebrations of God’s presence in all humanity. Events will include the gathering of health workers, Military personnel, police, security officials, artists, sporting members, families, priests, those in religious life, the sick and the elderly, educationalist, the poor, grandparents and the elderly, to name a few.
The Jubilee begins with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, on 24 December and concludes when the Holy Door is sealed on the Feast of the Epiphany, 6 January 2026.
The ceremony of the opening and closing of the Holy Door is rich in symbolism The Holy Door is also known as the “Door of Great Pardon” which is normally sealed securely inside with bricks and opened and closed by the Holy Father. In opening the Door, the Pope proclaims: This is the gate of the Lord” with the acclamation “Though it will enter the just.” The Holy Door represents Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the door of the sheep pen: I am the gate. Whoever enters through me, will be safe. He will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).
Various groups of Christians will gather throughout this busy year. On 8-9 February, members of military services, police and security officials will gather with the Holy Father to commemorate their vocations of service in the pursuit of justice, security and peace.
The Holy Year Calendar is attached listing the various groups that will gather through the year.
ENG-CAL.pdf (iubilaeum2025.va)
Jubilee for the Armed Forces, Police, and Security Personnel
The Military Diocese is planning to be represented at the Armed Forces, Police, and Security Personnel gathering in Rome the 8 - 9 February 2025.
Mass Program 9 February - Armed Forces
Pope Francis presided at the Papal Mass on the occasion of the Jubilee gathering of members of the armed forces, police and security personnel.
His homily for the occasion, drawn from the Gospel of the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time , addressed the vocation of all who serve as Christians in both military and security services.
The concluding part of this address is very pertinent to the role and vocation of those who serve in uniform. It re-affirms us of God’s presence when we strive to be instruments of justice and peace as members of the ADF.
Pope Francis said "In carrying out your work, which embraces your whole life, you are accompanied by your chaplains, an important priestly presence in your midst. Their job is not - as has at times unfortunately happened in history - to bless perverse acts of war. No. They are in your midst as the presence of Christ, who desires to walk at your side, to offer you a listening and sympathetic ear, to encourage you to set out ever anew and to support you in your daily service. As a source of moral and spiritual support, they accompany you at every step and help you to carry out your mission in the light of the Gospel and in the pursuit of the common good.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are grateful for what you do, at times at great personal risk. Thank you because by boarding our storm-tossed boats, you offer us protection and encourage us to stay our course. At the same time, I would encourage you never to lose sight of the purpose of your service and all your activity, which is to promote life, to save lives, to be a constant defender of life. And I ask you, please, to be vigilant. Be vigilant against the temptation to cultivate a warlike spirit. Be vigilant not to be taken in by the illusion of power and the roar of arms. Be vigilant lest you be poisoned by propaganda that instils hatred, divides the world into friends to be defended and foes to fight. Instead, be courageous witnesses of the love of God our Father, who wants us all to be brothers and sisters. Together, then, let us set out to be artisans of a new era of peace, justice and fraternity."
The jubilee calls for us to set out on a journey and to cross boundaries. When we travel, we do not only change place physically, but we also change ourselves. Hence, it is important to prepare ourselves well, to plan the route, and learn about the destination. In this sense, the Jubilee pilgrimage begins before the start of the journey itself: the starting point is the decision to set out. The etymology of the word “pilgrimage” is quite telling and has undergone little change in meaning over the years. The word comes from the Latin “per ager,” meaning "across the fields," or perhaps from “per eger” meaning “border crossing”: both possible origins point to the distinctive aspect of undertaking a journey.
Armed Forces Papal Mass - Homily
'Dear brothers and sisters, we are grateful for what you do, at times at great personal risk. Thank you because by boarding our storm-tossed boats, you offer us protection and encourage us to stay our course. At the same time, I would encourage you never to lose sight of the purpose of your service and all your activity, which is to promote life, to save lives, to be a constant defender of life. And I ask you, please, to be vigilant. Be vigilant against the temptation to cultivate a warlike spirit. Be vigilant not to be taken in by the illusion of power and the roar of arms. Be vigilant lest you be poisoned by propaganda that instils hatred, divides the world into friends to be defended and foes to fight. Instead, be courageous witnesses of the love of God our Father, who wants us all to be brothers and sisters. Together, then, let us set out to be artisans of a new era of peace, justice and fraternity. ' Pope Francis
Pope Francis has declared that 2025 will be a Year of Jubilee through the Church, something which happens every 25 years. The Theme of 2025 will be “Pilgrims of Hope”
Jubilee years are a time for newness. They have been celebrated throughout the history of the Church, but their roots go back to the Old Testament, when the Israelites were commanded to celebrate a Jubilee every 50 years.
Jubilee is the name given to a particular year, the name comes from the instrument that used to sound its launch, in this case the Yoel, the ram’s horn, proclaiming the Day of Atonement. We find an early reference in the Bible, marking a particular time for the re-establishing of proper relationship with God, with one another, and with the whole of creation, involving the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated lands, and a fallow period in the fields. A time of restoration of all things.
For the Israelites, these special years were meant to be a kind of ‘reset’ or ‘refresh’ for their relationship with God and with each other. Debt would be forgiven, misappropriate land returned, slaves set free and the land given rest. All was to be restored in God.
The Gospel of St. Luke describes Jesus’ mission in this way:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news 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.” (Luke 4: 18-19).
Thought his life, death and resurrection, Jesus brought about a kind of ‘ultimate Jubilee,’ a time of newness and ‘new creation’ (2 Cor 5:17), a time of abundant mercy for his people until his return in glory. The apostles saw their task as continuing this work of Christ’s jubilee.
The first Jubilee was celebrated about 1300 AD. The tradition was set to celebrate these special occasions of renewal every 25 years. In preparation for jubilee 2025, Pope Francis notes that we, as a pilgrim people, need moments of ‘greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as the constant companion that guides our steps. 2025 offers us the opportunity for ‘moments of greater intensity’, opportunities to reorient, refresh, and renew our relationships with the Lord and with each other.
In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII called the first Jubilee, also known as the ‘Holy Year’. Since it is a time when God’s holiness transforms us. The frequency of the Holy Years has changed over time, in 1470 Pope Paul II made it every 25 years.
Our Australian saint, St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop used to say:
‘We are but travellers here.’
For the 2025 jubilee year, Pope Francis invites us to reflect on what it means to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, a people who are not only travellers here but walking with God’s presence in our hearts.
Francis believes that, in today’s world, hope suffers; that too many people have been robbed by cynicism and despair. During Jubilee 2025, he wants everyone to have an ‘intense experience of the love of God. Only this hope – born from knowing that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Rom 8: 35-39)- can breathe life back into the weary souls.
One of the important hallmarks of Catholic Jubilee is the availability of the Jubilee indulgence. For Francis, indulgences are a way of discovering the ultimate mercy of God. Not by chance, for the ancients, the term ’mercy’ and ‘indulgence’ were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds. God lavishes us with this mercy, there is no sin too great for the outpouring of his mercy, forgiveness and restoration. For Jubilee 2025, the opportunities and conditions for actively receiving this indulgence (mercy) have been greatly expanded to include various prayers, the sacrament of reconciliation and charitable initiatives.
These include:
Pilgrimages to Rome and other designated Churches within local diocese around Australia and overseas.
In the Military Diocese, St Pauls’ Catholic Chapel, Royal Military College, Duntroon, has been designated as a pilgrimage site.
- Use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Various penitential practices, charitable activity, fasting and abstinence and volunteering in the community.
Father in heaven,
May the faith that you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seed of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within,
both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,
when,
with the powers of Evil vanished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee renew in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May the same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
The Vatican has published yearlong activities for Holy Year. Throughout 2025, individual jubilees are scheduled which includes jubilees for teenagers, children and parents, and grandparents, for musicians, health care workers, for military personnel, security and police, deacons, bishops and Eastern Churches, missionaries and those in consecrated life. See Vatican website for details. https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/pellegrinaggio/calendario-giubileo.html ( Jubilee 2025).
As part of the jubilee calendar, a two day event is dedicated to worldwide military personnel, police and security members of the church to gather in Rome over the weekend 8-9 February 2025.
Four members of the Australian Military Diocese of Australia will join in this in this worldwide gathering at St. Peters, Rome with Mass with the Holy Father on Sunday 9 February.
The Military Diocese has named St. Paul’s Catholic Chapel, Royal Military College, Duntroon as a special site for the Jubilee year where ADF members and families, veterans and friends can visit by way of pilgrimage. For Catholics, a pilgrimage is more than just ravelling to an historic site. At is core, it is a journey that carries within it a deep spiritual meaning and an opportunity for personal growth and conversion of heart.
St Paul’s Chapel is always open for prayer and reflection. It will contain a short pilgrimage walk from the side of the chapel. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 5.00pm on Sundays when the theme of the Jubilee year - ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ - will be central in our liturgical celebration and shared prayer. If in Canberra, you are most welcome to join the St. Paul’s community or just drop by for prayer and reflection.
O God, in this Jubilee year, we give thanks for the men and women of our armed forces, who dedicate their lives to the service of our nation and the protection of our people.
We pray for their courage, strength, and unwavering commitment, and for the peace and justice they strive to uphold.
May they be guided by wisdom and compassion in their actions, and may they always return home safely to their families.
We ask for your protection and guidance on their journeys, and for the healing of any wounds, both physical and emotional, that they may have sustained.
May the spirit of unity and brotherhood strengthen them, and may they find solace and comfort in their faith.
We pray for the end of conflict and the establishment of lasting peace in the world, and for the day when all nations can live in harmony and justice.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Jubilee Song
When asked about the journey of faith, CRA President, Gerard Brady CFC, recalls that Pope Francis has asked Religious Institutes around the globe to “wake up the world” by being “real witnesses” to a counter-cultural way of life that relies on generosity and self-forgetfulness.
Enlisting the talents of videographer, Matthew Howard, the video clip has been prepared with contributions from CRA members around Australia.
It is freely available for use as a stand-alone song or with the video clip, it can be accessed either from this webpage or through CRA’s YouTube. Journey of Faith - CRA can be found on a broad range of online music platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, Amazon, Deezer, Instagram, Tidal and more.
What is hopeHQ?
Inspired by Pope Francis’ call to rediscover the theme of hope, we believe that Christian hope is a steadfast anchor in times of challenge. It is a journey that calls for moments of greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as our constant companion. By embracing hope, we not only find strength for ourselves but also become beacons of light for others, building a community where faith and optimism thrive.
Join us at hopeHQ as we embark on this special year of celebration, renewal, and hope. Together, let’s embrace the spirit of pilgrimage and make the 2025 Year of Jubilee a transformative experience for all.
DOWNLOAD THE IUBILAEUM25 APP
The app, which makes registration for Jubilee events easier, can be downloaded from the App Store for iOS and from the Play Store for Android.
By using the app, which is available in six languages, you can access all the latest news on the Jubilee, register as a pilgrim for the Holy Year and obtain the Pilgrim Card for free. Once registered on the portal, you will also be able to register for Jubilee events and pilgrimages to the Holy Door.
By navigating the intuitive and simple menu, the user can ‘save’ events they are interested in, easily access their personalized area and get the unique QR code needed to pass through the Holy Door.
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