By Fr Arockia Rayappan –
For Pope Francis, a Jubilee is a religious event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church. As a special gift of grace to God’s people, the jubilee celebration is principally characterised by the remission and forgiveness of sins, particularly by way of indulgence, i.e., a full expression of the mercy of God as interpreted by the Catholic Church.
The Jubilee in the Catholic Church is distinguished as ordinary and extraordinary. It is ordinary when it is celebrated after a customary twenty-five-year period. The celebration of an ordinary Jubilee usually entails years of preparation. An Ordinary Jubilee was celebrated in 2000. The next Jubilee that falls in 2025 is also under the ordinary category. Primarily for this reason, the preparation for Jubilee 2025 has already begun. Jubilee becomes extraordinary when it is proclaimed as such for an outstanding event such as the Jubilee Year of Mercy promulgated by Pope Francis. The last Extraordinary Holy Year was celebrated in 2015.[1]
Jubilee 2025’s logo was released on June 28, 2022, and speaking of how the logo came to be chosen, Archbishop Rino Fisichella said: “On June 11th (2022), I submitted the three final projects to Pope Francis to select the one that struck him the most. The choice was not easy for him either. After looking at the projects several times and expressing his preference, the project of Giacomo Travisani was chosen.”[2] The Motto of the Jubilee is Pilgrims of Hope (Peregrinantes in Spem). It is visible in green colour below the anchor. In the Logo, four stylized figures representing humanity from the four corners of the earth are in an embrace. The first figure clings to the Cross. The three figures, behind it, embrace the figure in front of it, portraying harmony in diversity and the primacy of faith in Christ that unites the disciples of Christ always and everywhere. The underlying choppy waves draw attention to the pilgrimage of life of an unsmooth and unsafe sail in turbulent waters, yet not devoid of hope owing to the presence and power of love symbolised in the Cross of Christ.
The logo clearly conveys, as though it were a clarion call that despite the personal circumstances and world events, often engrossed in difficulties and turbulence, we cannot afford to despair as believers in Christ (even amidst the bilateral war between Russia and Ukraine, and tension between India and China). A close look at the lower part of the Cross that is elongated and turning into an anchor –an intentional inclusion by Giacomo Travisani – seems to suggest that it is the Cross that here dominates the movement of the waves and not the contrary. Most readers understand that anchors in the ocean and sea are often used as metaphors for hope, stability, and calmness.
The Jubilee 2025 logo shows how the pilgrim’s journey is communitarian, flooded with collaboration, teamwork, networking leadership, and diversity leadership, totally manifesting a growing dynamism. This dynamism, depicted in the logo, visibly moves more and more towards the Cross of Christ. Archbishop Rino Fisichella shares a similar opinion while reflecting on the Logo. He says, “The Cross is not static but dynamic, bending towards and meeting humanity as if not to leave it alone, but rather offering the certainty of its presence and the reassurance of hope. It (the Logo) expresses the need to make sense of the present so that it can be preparatory for a real thrust into the future in order to embrace and respond to the various challenges that arise from time to time.”[3]
While inviting the Catholics to live the years of preparation from 2023 – 2025 with utmost enthusiasm, our Pope says, “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.” He adds, “The Jubilee Logo expresses the distinctive spiritual identity and theme, embodying the theological meaning around which this historic event is developed and carried out.”[4]
At the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council on Oct. 11, 2022, and in preparation for Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis has sent us a paternal as well as a personal invitation to all Christians to study the documents of Vatican II in 2023, especially to revisit the fundamental topics of the four constitutions of the Council so that the Church can comprehend the enduring significance of the Council for the Church today and breathe anew the profound and timely teaching produced by Vatican II.[5] Doctor Daisy Panna and Reverend Maxim Pinto of the Archdiocese of Delhi are emphatically enthusiastic about our Pope’s invitation. Both have spared their valuable time to share their perspectives with the readers of Indian Catholic Matters on the invitation of our beloved Pope Francis to study the fundamentalistic themes of the documents of the Second Vatican Council in preparation for Jubilee 2025.
Doctor Daisy Panna is a Medical Doctor working as a Consultant Epidemiologist at Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) at National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), MoHFW. She is an elected- secretary of the Diocesan Pastoral Council and Commission for Laity of the Archdiocese of Delhi. She is actively involved in social and church activities in various capacities: Secretary for Diocesan Pastoral Council and Commission for Laity, resource person for MPC (Marriage Preparation Course), visiting Faculty for the Delhi Archdiocesan Minor Seminary – Vinay Gurukul, Gurugram. She is also involved in career orientation programs for youth and is a member of the Commission for Migrants & Refugees. She, as a secretary of the Commission for Laity, represented the Archdiocese of Delhi in the National Laity Seminar at Nav Sadhana Regional Pastoral Centre, Varanasi from January 12-14, 2023. The theme of the Laity Seminar was Implementing the CCBI-National Synodal Action Plan. [Courtesy: Chancellor Fr. Alphonse Shah, Vox Pastoris, X 2 (2022), 12]. Dr. Daisy Panna pinpoints the interlace there is between the Pope’s invitation and the Synodal Church. With the conviction that reading in depth the fundamental themes of the Conciliar Constitutions would inspire the Catholics to live Christ-filled / Christ-centred life, and to have a maturation of genuine faith, and renewal of families in the local church, she contended:
“Pope’s invitation to read the Vatican II documents is a welcome initiative and much needed, as it is in tune with the Synodal Church where everyone is called to participate and contribute actively. It is of utmost necessity that each baptised Catholic read these documents to know and understand while deepening their faith, experiencing (the Trinitarian) God in their everyday life, and progressing towards adult faith, making their faith pilgrimage Christ-centric, which is very important to bring about newness/renewal of the domestic church i.e., the family, making it alive and ever-vibrant.[6] Even though I believe it will happen, it will require continuous urging and motivation as most us are used to the passive routine way of practicing our faith.”
Reverend Father and Professor Maxim Pinto is a priest of the Archdiocese of Delhi, presently teaching philosophy at the Holy Trinity Regional Seminary, Jalandhar. Since 2015, he is the Head of the Department of Philosophy. He sees in it a paternal invitation by Pope Francis “to live a life of communion in the world,” saying:
“It is heart-warming to know that, as the Church prepares itself to celebrate the Jubilee Year 2025, the Catholics have been asked to get themselves familiar with the Four Constitutions and the other twelve documents of the Second Vatican Council. Therein lie the treasures of the Church’s authentic thinking, which has not been hitherto sufficiently discovered or disseminated, mainly due to the unavailability of the texts in local languages. As “Pilgrims of Hope,” – the logo of the Jubilee Year 2025, we are called to exhibit adequate knowledge of the Constitutions and documents in order to become credible signs of hope in the world. These documents are all-inclusive in thought, touch every aspect of human existence, breathe in the fresh air in every creature, and are conscientious of every groaning, joy, and sorrow of every human being. The profound reading of these texts will renew our life as Christians, show us the way to the Father, and help us to live a life of communion in the world, thereby preparing ourselves worthily for the celebration of the Holy Jubilee Year 2025.”
Being enriched by the wisdom and renewal of the Spirit and by investing the resources available to study the documents of the Second Vatican Council now, may all of us, you, and me, “rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer” (Romans 12.12) as we await the celebrations of Jubilee 2025! As we meditate on the richness of the Conciliar Spirt, “May the Almighty and Merciful God make us firm in faith, joyful in hope, and active in charity” (adapted from the Solemn Blessing during the Advent Season Eucharist).
Arockia Rayappan is a priest of Delhi Archdiocese and a Ph.D. student at Concordia University, Canada. His doctoral research explores practical, resourceful, and sustainable ways to foster social and religious harmony through Basic Ecclesial Communities in the contemporary Indian multi-cultural, pluri-religious, social, economic, and political milieu. He dedicates the articles on Vatican II and Jubilee 2025 to the friends, teachers, professors, formators and spiritual guides at College Platon, Jnana Deepa – Institute of Philosophy and Religion, Papal Seminary, Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul, Vinay Gurukul, Saint Jude Thaddeus’ School, to the victims of the Covid-pandemic, particularly to the late Fr. Isaac who died on April 30, 2021, during the first wave of Covid-19. 
Fr. Isaac was a priest of the Archdiocese of Nagpur. The author’s contributions have been published in Indian Catholic Matters, The New Leader, The Voice of Delhi, Dilli Vaani, JDV Times, The Indian Currents, The Herald, The Examiner, News and Views, Ishvani, Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection – VJRT, (Vidyajyoti College, Delhi), The Tablet (Brooklyn, USA), Golden Key – GKA, (Atlanta, USA), and Journal of the Council for Research on Religion – JCREOR, (School of Religious Studies, McGill University, Canada).
[1] Exaudi Staff, “Jubilee 2025: Contribute To Restoring A Climate Of Hope And Trust – Interventions_ Presentation conference Logo and first initiatives of the Jubilee 2025,” Exaudi Catholic News, https://www.exaudi.org/jubilee-2025/ (accessed on 19.04.2024)
[2] Ibid.
[3] Deborah Castellano Lubov, “Official Logo of Jubilee unveiled,” Vatican News, June 28, 2022, https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-06/official-logo-of-jubilee-year-unveiled.html (accessed on 19.04.2024)
[4] Exaudi Staff, “Jubilee 2025: Contribute To Restoring A Climate Of Hope And Trust – Interventions_ Presentation conference Logo and first initiatives of the Jubilee 2025,” https://www.exaudi.org/jubilee-2025/
[5] Exaudi Staff, “Jubilee 2025: Contribute To Restoring A Climate Of Hope And Trust – Interventions_ Presentation conference Logo and first initiatives of the Jubilee 2025,” https://www.exaudi.org/jubilee-2025/
[6] Vatican II, Lumen Gentium: Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, nos.11 and 35; Gaudium et Spes: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no. 52; Gravissimum Educationis: Declaration on Christian Education, no.3; Evangelii Nuntiandi: Evangelization in the Modern World, no. 71; and Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1654, 1656, 2221, and 2223.