After weeks of mounting anticipation, the 2025 Jubilee is finally near and promises a wide range of events for all the pilgrims who will flock to Rome. There will be entire days dedicated, for example, to teenagers, volunteers, workers, consecrated life, education and communications; as well as migrants, young people, prisoners and artists. It will be a very special event, as it is the first ordinary Jubilee to be celebrated since the Jubilee of the year 2000.
Although we have all heard about the Jubilee, are we ready to experience this extraordinary event to the fullest? Let us therefore seek to grasp the central meaning of passing through the Holy Door, of being pilgrims of hope, and finally of the Jubilee logo, which expresses the identity and spiritual theme of this event.
An iconic moment: passing through the Holy Door
Proclaimed by Pope Francis, the Holy Year celebrates the 2,025th anniversary of Christ’s birth «to offer the living experience of God’s love, which awakens in our hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ» (Spes non confundit, 6).
As we all know by now, the Jubilee will officially open on December 24, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., with the rite for the Opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica by the Holy Father, who will then preside over the celebration of Holy Mass on Christmas night.
The opening of the Holy Door is an ancient, evocative and moving rite that conveys a profound spiritual meaning: every Christian is called to a «living and personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” of salvation (cf. Jn 10:7,9); with him, whom the Church is missioned to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as «our hope» (1 Tm 1:1)» (Spes non confundit, 1).
But what does it mean to pass through the Holy Door? Passing through that door means confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, strengthening our faith in him so that we may live the new life he has given us. It is a decision that presupposes the freedom to choose, together with the courage to leave something behind, knowing that divine life is gained (cf. Mt 13:44-46).
The Jubilee is an opportunity to experience a time of grace and spiritual renewal, to journey together toward hope: “Christ’s Nativity, inaugurating redemption, speaks to us of a hope founded in God. He enters the world and gives us the strength to walk with him: God walks with us in Jesus, and walking with him toward the fullness of life gives us the strength to live in a new way in the present, however arduous it may be. For Christians, then, hope means the certainty of journeying with Christ toward the Father who awaits us” (Pope Francis).
Pilgrims of Hope: On the Journey with Christ
And hope is precisely the central theme of the Holy Year chosen by the Holy Father. This decision is a tangible sign of the Church’s desire to inspire trust and optimism in people, especially young people; it is an invitation to unite in the pursuit of a full and meaningful life based on the values of solidarity and fraternity. Furthermore, it is an invitation “to rediscover and embrace this fundamental theological virtue, hope, described as a regenerative force for the human spirit and a sure guide on the journey of life,” wrote Pope Francis in the Bull proclaiming the Jubilee, Spes non confundit. Furthermore, he clarified that “we must keep alight the torch of hope that has been given to us, and do everything possible so that everyone may regain the strength and certainty to look to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and a far-sighted mind” (Letter for the Jubilee 2025).
The motto “Pilgrims of Hope” also evokes the idea of a spiritual journey toward a bright and promising future, inviting everyone, young and old, believers and non-believers, to take part in this journey of hope and in building a better world.
These values are perfectly represented in the logo for this Holy Year 2025.
The Jubilee logo: “a compass to follow”
The logo represents “a compass to follow and a common expressive denominator capable of permeating, in a transversal way, all the elements revolving around the celebration of the Jubilee event” (Monsignor Rino Fisichella) and expresses the distinctive identity and spiritual theme, encapsulating the theological meaning around which the Jubilee is developed and carried out. Here is an explanation of its various components.
The four stylized figures represent humanity coming from the four corners of the earth. They are embracing one another to indicate the solidarity and fraternity that should unite peoples.
It is worth noting that the leader is clinging to the cross. This is a sign not only of the faith that embraces, but also of the hope that can never be abandoned because we always need it, especially in times of greatest need. It is useful to observe that the waves below are shown in motion, indicating that life's pilgrimage does not always proceed in calm waters. Personal circumstances and events in the world often make the call to hope more urgent. This is why the lower part of the cross extends and transforms into an anchor that holds firm against the waves.
As we know, the anchor is often used precisely as a metaphor for hope. The anchor of hope, in fact, is the name given in nautical parlance to the spare anchor, used by vessels to carry out emergency maneuvers to stabilize the ship during storms.
Furthermore, the image shows that the pilgrim's journey is not an individual matter, but a communal one, bearing the imprint of a growing dynamism that increasingly tends toward the cross. The cross is not static at all; it too is dynamic, bending toward humanity as if to meet it and not leave it alone, while offering the certainty of presence and the security of hope. Finally, the motto of Jubilee 2025, Pilgrims of Hope, is clearly visible in green. Here we see it in its Italian version, but it has been rendered in many languages precisely to embrace the faithful throughout the world.
Experiencing the Jubilee means an inner journey of conversion that everyone is invited to begin and complete. Not only by physically passing through the Holy Door, but rather by recognizing oneself as and becoming a “pilgrim of hope” in everyday life, breaking the bonds of sin and selfishness.
The true extraordinariness of the Jubilee we are preparing to experience lies in the change that takes place in the silence of the heart of every pilgrim who will pass through the Holy Door. Through encountering Christ's living and personal love, and through meeting and sharing with other pilgrims, let us open ourselves to the grace of conversion so that we may rediscover the joy of life and allow ourselves to be guided by hope.
And are you ready to make the most of Jubilee 2025?
If you want to share your experience, write about it in the comments!
