Jubilee 2025: Complete Guide to Celebrations and Religious Pilgrimages in Apulia.

Updated at: 02-09-2024

What is the Jubilee?

The Jubilee is a special year of celebration in the tradition of the Catholic Church, occurring every 25 years. During the Jubilee year, the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence, which is the complete remission of temporal punishment for sins that have already been forgiven.

Traditionally, the Jubilee is characterized by a series of religious events, pilgrimages, and liturgical celebrations, and is proclaimed by the Pope. Each Jubilee has a specific theme and may include special initiatives to promote spiritual renewal, service to the poor, and reconciliation.

The first Jubilee was proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, and since then it has become an important part of the life of the Catholic Church. The next Jubilee will be in 2025, with the specific theme and celebrations to be announced closer to the date.

How the Jubilee Begins and Unfolds

The beginning of a Jubilee year is marked by a series of very significant moments. The focal point of this celebration is the opening of the Holy Door, a special door located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome or in other designated major basilicas. This door remains sealed until the start of the Jubilee.

During a solemn ceremony, the Pope or his representative opens it, symbolizing the beginning of a period of grace and forgiveness. This act represents the official sign of the Jubilee’s commencement.

After the opening of the Holy Door, a solemn Mass is celebrated, often presided over by the Pope himself. This Eucharistic celebration marks the official start of the Jubilee year and includes special prayers and hymns reflecting the theme of the Jubilee.

Throughout the Jubilee year, the faithful are encouraged to make pilgrimages to sacred sites and to participate in various special events and activities organized around the world. These celebrations and activities serve to reflect and celebrate the theme of the Jubilee, offering believers the opportunity to experience a time of deep spirituality and renewal.

Why is the Jubilee held every 25 years?

The first Jubilee was initially intended to occur every 100 years, but the great turnout and success of the Jubilee of 1300 prompted subsequent popes to reduce the interval. In 1343, Pope Clement VI established that the Jubilee would be celebrated every 50 years, drawing inspiration from the Jewish tradition of the Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25, which occurred every 50 years as a time of liberation and renewal.

In 1389, Pope Urban VI further reduced the interval to 33 years, symbolically linked to the years of Christ's life. Finally, in 1470, Pope Paul II set the interval at 25 years, and since then, this has become the rule.

The 25-year interval is symbolically significant because it represents a generation. Every 25 years, it is considered that a new generation has reached adulthood and is, therefore, ready to fully participate in the life of the Church and benefit from the special graces offered by the Jubilee.

Jubilee in Puglia

If you are thinking of planning a vacation in Puglia in 2025, know that Puglia is ready to welcome all those who, like you, choose religious and cultural tourism for the Jubilee 2025.

The Jubilee 2025 will begin on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's in Rome and will close on January 6, 2026, under the theme 'Pilgrims of Hope'.

It will involve, in addition to Rome, the most important sanctuaries and sacred places throughout the country, initiating a continuous and growing flow of millions of tourists and pilgrims.

The importance of the Jubilee is recognized and respected by other faiths around the world.

If the dioceses in Puglia are designated as important locations for Jubilee celebrations, there could be the establishment of local 'Holy Doors' similar to those in Rome, which the faithful can visit as part of their Jubilee pilgrimage.

Guide Puglia, anticipating the needs of travelers, has gathered all possible information to facilitate the planning of your personal travel experience to the Sanctuaries and Churches of Puglia in view of the Jubilee 2025.

Puglia is one of the Italian regions with one of the highest concentrations of sanctuaries in Italy.

These Sanctuaries, in addition to being well-distributed throughout the Pugliese territory, are rich in history, culture, and art, but above all, they are among the most favored destinations for pilgrims from all over the world.

Among them, we remember: