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2025 is a year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church, celebrated every 25 years, also known as a “Holy Year,” since it is a time in which God's holiness transforms us.
It is celebrated in Rome from December 24, 2024, vigil of the Lord’s Nativity, to January 6, 2026, .Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
In local dioceses and in our Apostolic Vicariate, it begins on Holy Family Sunday, December 29, 2024. and conclude on Holy Family Sunday, December 28, 2025.
Opening ceremony for our vicariate : Saturday, 28th of December, in St Joseph's Cathedral parish, Abu Dhabi.
Originally, the Holy Year consisted of a pilgrimage to the Roman Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul, later other signs were added, such as the Holy Door. By participating in the Holy Year, one is granted a plenary indulgence.
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. To prepare for the Jubilee 2025, pope Francis asked that 2024 would be a Year of Prayer.
Pope Francis introduces the Jubilee: “The Jubilee has always been an event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church. Ever since 1300, when Boniface VIII instituted the first Holy Year – initially celebrated every hundred years, then, following its biblical precedent, every fifty years, and finally every twenty-five years – God’s holy and faithful people has experienced this celebration as a special gift of grace, characterized by the forgiveness of sins and in particular by the indulgence, which is a full expression of the mercy of God. The faithful, frequently at the conclusion of a lengthy pilgrimage, draw from the spiritual treasury of the Church by passing through the Holy Door and venerating the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul preserved in Roman basilicas. Down the centuries, millions upon millions of pilgrims have journeyed to these sacred places, bearing living witness to the faith professed in every age.”
Theme & Logo of the Jubilee : "Pilgrims of Hope"“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and 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 as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.”
“The image of the anchor [in the logo] is eloquent; it helps us to recognize the stability and security that is ours amid the troubled waters of this life, provided we entrust ourselves to the Lord Jesus. The storms that buffet us will never prevail, for we are firmly anchored in the hope born of grace, which enables us to live in Christ and to overcome sin, fear and death. The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation”. (Spes Non Confundit 25)
A year of prayer in preparation of the Jubilee“Prayer, above all else, to renew our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and to adore him. Prayer, moreover, to thank God for the many gifts of his love for us and to praise his work in creation, which summons everyone to respect it and to take concrete and responsible steps to protect it. Prayer as the expression of a single “heart and soul” (cf. Acts 4:32), which then translates into solidarity and the sharing of our daily bread. Prayer that makes it possible for every man and woman in this world to turn to the one God and to reveal to him what lies hidden in the depths of their heart. Prayer as the royal road to holiness, which enables us to be contemplative even in the midst of activity. In a word, may it be an intense year of prayer in which hearts are opened to receive the outpouring of God’s grace and to make the “Our Father,” the prayer Jesus taught us, the life programme of each of his disciples.”
In our Vicariate, we were blessed to have the opportunity to pray in a special way to St Arethas and Companions as we celebrated the Jubilee of the Arabian martyrs just before the Jubilee 2025. To help us enter into the mode of prayer, we also have the pastoral letter of Bp Paolo, "Joy and Jubilee" in which he explains why and how to pray with more intensity and fidelity.
Shrine Churches for Pilgrimage and Plenary Indulgence during the JubileeA plenary indulgence can be obtained by a pilgrimage to one of the four Papal Major Basilicas in Rome or to one of three Basilicas in the Holy Land.
In the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, plenary indulgence can also be obtained by a pilgrimage to one of the three places designated by Bp Paolo Martinelli, the Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, as the holy sites or "Shrine Churches" for pilgrimage in our Vicariate during the Jubilee Year:in the U.A.E. : St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Ras Al Khaimah
in the Sultanate of Oman : Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church at Ruwi, Muscat
in Yemen : Oratory/Chapel of the sisters, Missionaries of Charity, in Sana'a
This indulgence is subject to the usual conditions – sacramental confession, reception of Holy Communion, prayer for the intentions of the Pope, and total detachment to all sin, including venial sin. Read more about the Plenary Indulgence
Read more about the 2025 Jubilee :
- Communication of Bp Paolo Martinelli regarding the 2025 Jubilee Year
- Letter of Pope Francis - Bull of indiction of the Jubilee Spes Non Confundit
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