Starting this Christmas Eve, the Eternal City will open its gates to an estimated 35 million pilgrims for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
The Catholic Holy Year ordinarily occurs once every 25 years, and the Jubilee is a chance for the faithful to visit holy sites, perform pious works, and have their sins remitted. The Pope grants plenary indulgence to Jubilee pilgrims on December 24, with the opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
The upcoming Jubilee follows 2024’s Year of Prayer, which Pope Francis declared as a preparatory period for personal meditations on God and the Catholic vocation. This year’s themeis Pilgrims of Hope,This year’s theme is Pilgrims of Hope, chosen to promote peacebuilding in a world threatened by climate change and ongoing wars.chosen to promote peacebuilding in a world threatened by climate change and ongoing wars.
For Kerekes who is the founder of WorldYouthDay.com, making a pilgrimage is vital to faith education, allowing for an ultimate close encounter with God that young people may not be able to access at home.
“Young people may be searching even more for the fundamental truths of the faith, and we teach them how to do that on pilgrimage,” Kerekes said. “Leaving their country behind is very important to free all the clutter and open them up to the grace of God.”