We are rapidly approaching the 2025 Jubilee: it will be a precious time to rediscover and savor Christian hope, despite the darkness of the wars and divisions surrounding us.
The Christian is called to be a pilgrim of hope at all times, because their hope is in Jesus, the light in every darkness.
Everything in the Christian faith speaks of hope; everything teaches us that death – any death (real death, death caused by sin, despair, or a lack of meaning...) will never have the last word, because the last word is in Jesus, in his being the way, the truth, and the life; the last word is love ready for sacrifice, the last word is responding to evil with good, the last word is forgiveness, which our heavenly Father is always ready to grant.

What is an indulgence?

A profound sign of all this – and therefore a profound sign of hope that does not disappoint – is the indulgence. As the word itself indicates, indulgence refers to God's indulgent, that is, merciful love toward sinful humanity. It is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992), in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 1471), and in the Manual of Indulgences as follows: “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed and under certain definite conditions gains through the Church’s help, which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”

Grave sin has a twofold consequence:
1. deprivation of communion with God, which makes us deserving of eternal punishment (that is, Hell), is erased through the sacrament of Confession; 2. unhealthy attachment to creatures, which requires purification and deserves a temporal punishment, for which we may still be liable (the phrase “may be” should be emphasized, because we are not capable of knowing this), despite the forgiveness of sins received in Confession. The prayers we raise to God, the acts of penance we perform, the good works we carry out, and the sufferings and trials of life endured with patience and faith contribute to this purification, which, if not fully completed on earth, will be completed in Purgatory.

To the repentant sinner, God, in his mercy, ordinarily grants forgiveness of sins and remission of eternal punishment through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Through the indulgence, divine mercy goes so far as to remit the temporal punishment for sins that have already been confessed, overcoming the tendencies and disorders left in us by the evil we have committed.

The Jubilee indulgence, the Holy Door, and much more...

During the Jubilee Holy Year, this experience of mercy takes place through certain spiritual practices indicated by the Pope that obtain the plenary indulgence: an extraordinary grace that completely heals a person, making them a new creation.
The Jubilee is in fact a period during which the Church grants special indulgences to those who make pilgrimages, commit themselves to works of charity, devote themselves to prayer and penance, or pass through one of the Holy Doors proclaimed by the Pope.
From a purely material point of view, we can define the Holy Door as the door of a Christian church or basilica that the Pope has designated as such. This door is kept sealed and is opened only on the occasion of a Jubilee, when it may be crossed to obtain the plenary indulgence for all sins.

Those who, due to illness or other reasons, cannot become pilgrims are nevertheless invited to take part in the spiritual movement accompanying this 2025 Holy Year by offering their suffering and daily lives and participating in the Eucharistic celebration.
Another special condition that the Pope has linked to the indulgence is the provision that: “the faithful may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, with a devout spirit, they participate in popular missions, spiritual exercises, or formation meetings on the texts of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, to be held in a church or another suitable place, in accordance with the mind of the Holy Father.”
For this purpose, our store also offers The Council Notebooks, commissioned by Pope Francis precisely in preparation for the Jubilee: all 34 concise volumes in a single box set, edited by the Dicastery for Evangelization and written by important authors (Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Monsignor Marco Frisina...). A valuable aid for preparing for the Jubilee and experiencing it to the fullest!