Rome is getting ready for an invasion in 2025 – a peaceful invasion of 32 million pilgrims, according to the Italian statistics office. Shopkeepers, hoteliers, souvenir vendors and restaurants are looking forward to an €8 billion bonanza, with some 70 per cent of pilgrims coming from abroad. Two-and-a-half million are expected from the United States. This is in addition to the millions of tourists who visit the city annually.
According to a vague tradition, an elderly man presented himself at the court of Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303), claiming that his father had brought him to Rome as a child to claim a Jubilee indulgence. Boniface had never heard of such a practice, but, inspired by the old man, convoked a Jubilee year, echoing the Jewish practice of cancelling debts and concluding wars every 50 years.
Boniface’s Jubilee brought hordes of pilgrims to Rome. The French were especially welcome, as King Philip (“the Fair”) had recently crossed the pope over the payment of tax by the clergy of France. A further attraction was the highlighting of the papacy, the prestige of which had been damaged by the abdication of the previous pope, Celestine, six years earlier.
The Jubilee idea caught on. The second Jubilee was called in 1350, two years after the bubonic plague of 1348 killed millions in Europe. In 1375, the interval for Jubilees was reduced to 25 years; with a few exceptions, Holy Years have been celebrated four times each century.
At the conclave which elected him pope in October 1978, the 58-year old Karol Wojtyła realised that in all probability he would lead the Church into the third millennium. As the year 2000 drew near, John Paul II planned an ambitious three-year programme, each year dedicated to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the Polish pontiff presided over a gruelling series of events spread over 12 months.
Pope Francis called a Year of Mercy in 2015. Just before First Vespers of Christmas 1499, Pope Alexander VI had initiated a Jubilee year by opening a Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica. Crossing the threshold, he led the pilgrims into the church. For the Jubilee of 2015, Pope Francis directed that cathedrals, churches, pilgrimage centres and hospitals could have their own Holy Door.
The Holy Father intends to open the year in the same manner as that of 2015. A hymn has been composed and various monthly events planned. The Pope has largely left the Dicastery for the New Evangelisation, led by the Pro-Prefect, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, to work on the more detailed arrangements. By coincidence, the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea offers opportunities for ecumenical progress.
On a recent trip to Rome, I was surprised by the lack of awareness of the forthcoming Jubilee, even among members of the Curia. Pope Francis will be away between 2-13 September, on a visit to Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste – his longest trip so far. He will barely have time to catch his breath before concluding the Synod on Synodality in October; 2025 will be intense.
There is a theme day for just about everyone, from children to grandparents, scientists to artists, and catechists to missionaries. The day for the armed forces and peace keepers on 8 February will be the first event of the year, while the day for prisoners on 14 December will be the last. The Pope will attend some of the Jubilee events held in St Peter’s Square.
For the Jubilee of 2000, the Italian government and mayor of Rome released funds to accommodate pilgrims and upgrade the city’s transportation and sanitation system. A parking area for coaches was excavated under the Janiculum Hill, where the Pontifical North American College stands. A large space at Tor Vergata, site of one of Rome’s universities, was laid out to accommodate a huge youth gathering held in August. Despite the success of the three-day event, the area was not developed. But Pope Francis will meet with the youth who will gather there between 28 July and 3 August 2025.
The Italian government and Rome’s mayor have scaled down programmed public works, many of which will not be completed for the Jubilee. There is concern about public transport around the city. But Rome is used to pressure and those willing to make the pilgrimage and obtain the Jubilee Indulgence are assured of a warm welcome. Meanwhile, the Vatican has launched an app – Iubilaeum25 – which allows people to follow the preparations and events of the Holy Year.
<em>Fr Michael Collins is author of </em>The Vatican: Secrets and Treasures of the Holy City <em>(DK)</em>
