THE HOLY Door of St. Peter’s Basilica has opened, marking the start of the 2025 Jubilee Year, which Pope Francis described as a “season of hope.”
Echoing the jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” Pope Francis underscored that Catholics need to recover, renew, and sow hope given the world’s troubles.
“Hope is not dead; hope is alive, and it embraces our lives forever. Hope does not disappoint…There is so much desolation at this time. We think of wars, of children being shot at, bombs on schools and hospitals,” the pontiff said in his Christmas Eve homily.
“Hope calls us to be upset with things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them. Hope calls us to become pilgrims in search of truth, dreamers who never tire, women and men open to being challenged by God’s dream, which is of a new world where peace and justice reign,” he added.
2024 has been marked by global unrest, with more than 40,000 killed in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and millions displaced in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since the onset of the wars, Pope Francis has openly appealed for a ceasefire and condemned the “cruelty” of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
He reminded Catholics that the hope born in the fields of Bethlehem “does not tolerate indifference of the complacent,” and urged them to show compassion for the victims of injustice.
“Hope is incompatible with the detachment of those who refuse to speak out against evil and the injustices perpetrated at the expense of the poor,” he said.
“This is the season of hope in which we are invited to rediscover the joy of meeting the Lord. The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to the transformation of our world, so that this year may truly become a time of jubilation.”
Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula urged Filipino Catholics to participate in the Jubilee Year.
“Pope Francis wants to lead us on a year-long journey to restore a climate of hope and trust, to find the flame of hope that has been given to us,” he said in his Christmas Eve homily at the Manila Cathedral.
Advincula said this year’s Christmas celebrations mirrored the first-ever one, when Jesus was born at a time of oppression and the greed of empires.
“Our world today is no different from the oppressive empire of the first Christmas. It was filled with lamentations and longings for freedom and redemption. It was dark.”
But Jesus’ birth also paved the way for hope, the cardinal said.
“Jesus, who is born among us tonight, is the reason for our hope. Without Jesus, there is no hope. His love makes us stronger to face all life’s difficulties,” he said. “In a very dark world we are living in, we do not lose hope because the star of Bethlehem will light our path and guide us in our journey.”
The Archdiocese of Manila is set to open its jubilee celebration on Dec. 30.
The Jubilee Year, described by the Holy See as a year of “special grace” and reconciliation held every 25 years, will conclude on Jan 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany.
Thirty million pilgrims are expected to flock to Rome.
