EDITORIAL

ANCHORED IN HOPE, PILGRIMS OF LIFE

BY Rafael Armada | EDITOR

2025 IS a Jubilee Year, an extraordinary event of grace in the life of the Church. Its theme, Pilgrims of hope, speaks to all of us who search for ways to experience it amid uncertainties and numerous challenges. The Bull of Indictment, which promulgates the Jubilee, reminds us that “hope does not deceive or disappoint us (Rom 5:5) because it is born from the love from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the Cross and grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love” (Rom 8:35.37-39).

The Jubilee is an invitation for a renewed encounter with Christ, ‘fixing our eyes on Him’—in the words of St. Daniel Comboni—in whom we find the strength for our pilgrimage. The word pilgrimage evokes a final goal, a destination which, in our case, is heaven. The desire to reach it gives us courage to overcome the hurdles encountered on the path of life. Hope is “that theological virtue by which we desire… eternal life as our happiness,” says Pope Francis. He uses the symbol of the anchor which “helps us to recognize the stability and security that is ours amid the troubled waters of this life, provided we entrust ourselves to the Lord Jesus.”

Held in the Anchor, we are empowered to become companions of humanity, even in the worst situations of suffering, journeying with them as pilgrims of hope. During the Holy Year, we are called “to be tangible signs of hope” for prisoners, for whom the Pope desires “forms of amnesty or pardon”; for the sick, “showing also our gratitude to all healthcare workers who constantly care for them”; for the young, “demonstrating our concern for adolescents, students, and young couples”; for the elderly, particularly grandparents, transmitters “of faith and wisdom to the younger generation”; for billions of poor, “who often lack the essentials of life in a world possessed of immense resources.”

“Hunger is a scandal,” says the Pope, “an open wound on the body of our humanity, calling all of us to a serious examination of conscience.” Pope Francis appeals to us to establish a global fund “with money spent now on weapons and other military expenditures, and put an end to hunger, favouring development in the most impoverished countries.”

“Signs of hope should also be present for migrants. A spirit of welcome and respect is required lest anyone be denied the right to a dignified existence.” The current conflict in Goma, DRC—caused by the greed of companies and countries competing for natural resources—has dramatically escalated, leaving scores of victims dead, including 13 South African soldiers, and hundreds more injured. To accompany this multitude who, in fear and anguish, flee their homes, we need a greater understanding of their situation and a firm commitment to peace, rather than closing our hearts or responding solely by means of deportations.

Despite all conflicts, “we need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, such as the desire for peace,” says the Pope. The Jubilee offers us the indulgences, “a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy and forgiveness, which knows no bounds. The sacrament of Reconciliation is a decisive step on our journey of faith; let us rediscover the beauty of this sacrament of healing and joy, the beauty of God’s forgiveness of our sins, which makes possible a brighter future,” Pope Francis concludes. A fruitful and happy Jubilee for all!