Pope Francis has declared that next year, 2025, will be a Holy Year in the Universal Church and that 2024 should be a year of preparation for this great Jubilee.
The idea of Jubilee has its roots in the Old Testament, with a celebration of a year of forgiveness and reconciliation. The Sabbath was the seventh day, a day of rest, and the Jubilee year was the year following seven times seven years, so the Jubilee took place every 50th year. In the tradition of the Catholic Church, we now celebrate the Jubilee every 25 years. The Holy Year of 2025 will begin at the Christmas Vigil 2024 when the Holy Father will open the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.