Rome expects an estimated 35 million people to flock to the Eternal City and the Vatican for the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025. To prepare the city for the celebrations and the influx of pilgrims, the Holy See is working closely with the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.  

"The Jubilee," Gualtieri said, "is a special occasion because it is not traditional tourism; people come for a spiritual reason, but naturally, at the same time, they admire the beauty of Rome." 

Archbishop Rino Fisichella is the Pro-Prefect for the Section of New Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization. He thinks "that the Jubilee has a goal to give an experience of the mercy and love of God." 

"So, the Jubilee," he said, "will be able to challenge you to understand more and more that you are in the presence of God who loves you and never abandons you, even in the moment in which you are suffering, you are with doubt, or you feel yourself alone. God never, never abandons you." 

A jubilee year takes place once every 25 years, though the Pope can call for extraordinary jubilee years more often, such as in the case of the last Jubilee called by Pope Francis in 2016: the "Year of Mercy."  

A key feature of any Jubilee is the opening of the Holy Doors, which are sealed except during Jubilee years. In 2016, Catholic dioceses around the world also opened their own Holy Doors. In Rome alone, around 20 million people went through the Jubilee Doors opened in Papal Basilicas during the last Jubilee of Mercy. 

Archbishop Fisichella further explained, "When the Holy Father will open the Holy Door and give the Jubilee indulgence to our people, it means that this is an experience, a spiritual experience of mercy, of pardon. But it needs your conversion." 

Jubilees have biblical roots. The Mosaic era established jubilee years, held every 50 years, for the freeing of slaves and forgiveness of debts as manifestations of God's mercy. The practice was reestablished in Rome in the 14th century. 

Gualtieri noted, "It is an ancient story. It was established by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 and since then has regularly welcomed and attracted millions of pilgrims who come to Rome for deeply spiritual reasons. But it is a global event. 

"This year," he said, "the 25th, will be a particularly significant Jubilee because Pope Francis has chosen to call it the Jubilee of Hope in a world that has seen a dramatic pandemic and today lives through the horrors of war." 

Jubilees are planned years in advance, with the 2025 Year of Hope being no exception, the city of Rome is working on a number of infrastructure projects to make the experience better for pilgrims and the Vatican for the spiritual preparations. 

"There is a lot of construction taking place," Gualtieri explained, "some right around Vatican City, naturally starting with the beautiful Pia Square that we will realize, and which will unite in a sort of embrace Castel Sant'Angelo, Via della Conciliazione, and Saint Peter's Square." 

In preparation for the upcoming Jubilee, Pope Francis proclaimed this year a "Year of Prayer." 

In his Angelus Address of January 21, 2024, the Pope said, "Therefore, today we begin the Year of Prayer; that is, a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the world." 

Spiritual preparation for the Jubilee requires prayer, contemplation, and attending Holy Mass. The Vatican has also organized some books to help the faithful prepare and is organizing events called "School of Prayer," where the Pope visits different parishes in Rome to give catechesis of prayer. 

When asked by Andreas Thonhauser, EWTN Vatican Bureau, "How important is this preparation for the Jubilee in prayer?" Archbishop Fisichella responded, "You know, since the Jubilee is a spiritual experience, you should find the coherent method to prepare. And how do you find another method other than prayer? Prayer is the coherent way to prepare for a spiritual event. To pray is to recognize that you are in the presence of God. And in each moment, God is beside you." 

The Jubilee Year of Hope will begin this year with the opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica on December 24.  

Adapted by Jacob Stein 

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