RADAR • JUBILEE YEAR 2025

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PRETORIA LAUNCHES THE JUBILEE YEAR 2025

BY VATICAN NEWS

ON 29 December 2024, the Archdiocese of Pretoria launched the Jubilee Year 2025, an event of renewal, reconciliation, and hope. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart overflowed with worshippers who answered the call of Archbishop Dabula Mpako, presider of the Mass and ceremony, and his Auxiliary Bishop, Masilo Selemela, to embrace this sacred year. The mood was celebratory as representatives from the archdiocese’s deaneries and parishes filled the cathedral, accompanying the celebration with vibrant singing.

At the beginning of the Eucharist, Archbishop Mpako formally inaugurated the Jubilee Year by reading his pastoral letter, making official the program of the archdiocese. In his address, he reiterated Pope Francis’ declaration of 2025 as a Jubilee Year, an ancient tradition rooted in biblical Scripture (Leviticus 25:8-13). This year-long observance, —he explained—, is an invitation to restore relationships with God, others, and creation through forgiveness, reconciliation, and mercy.

In his pastoral letter, Archbishop Mpako highlighted the ways in which the archdiocese would live out the Jubilee’s call. Activities will include pilgrimages, prayer, the sacrament of reconciliation, and works of mercy. A Joint Jubilee Year Committee has been established to oversee the various celebrations at diocesan, deanery, and parish levels.

Homily

Auxiliary Bishop Masilo Selemela delivered a heartfelt homily urging the faithful to embrace the Jubilee’s message of healing and renewal. “As the family of the archdiocese, we gather today to open our hearts to the working of the Holy Spirit. Let us mend broken relationships, create opportunities to inspire hope, and bandage the wounds of those we encounter,” he said.

Reflecting on the symbolism of the Holy Door, Bishop Selemela reminded the congregation of Christ’s invitation in the Gospel of John (10:9-11): “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” He emphasized that the true Jubilee lies within—in our hearts, relationships, and communities. “Without Jesus at the heart of our lives, all is empty and meaningless,” he added.

The Jubilee Year also provides an opportunity for Catholics to obtain a plenary indulgence, a remission of temporal punishment for sins that have already been forgiven. Bishop Selemela explained that this indulgence could be gained by fulfilling specific conditions, including confession, reception of the Eucharist, prayer, and acts of devotion and charity.

He encouraged the faithful to approach this grace with sincerity and a desire for personal holiness.

Explanation of the Jubilee Symbols

Fr. Alfred Bwana introduced the symbols of the Jubilee, which would be conveyed throughout the archdiocese. These symbols serve as reminders of the hope and unity that the Jubilee Year seeks to inspire.

1. Candle: The main celebrant lit the archdiocese’s main Candle of the Jubilee. The lighting of this candle is a symbolic prayer to God, who mercifully led the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, and may thus lead us through our turbulent moments unto times of greater hope.It is also an invitation to us, the community of believers, to keep the flame of hope alive in our hearts and in our midst, encouraged by this pillar of hope.His Grace subsequently shared this message of hope through the lighting of smaller candles representing the archdiocese’s six deaneries and praying that the flame of hope may never be dimmed, but may spread throughout the archdiocese and be kept alive during the Jubilee Year.
2. Cross: The Cross in the logo is a sign of hope that God has given to the world through Jesus Christ.We need this hope in order to overcome the seeds of hopelessness present in our times: among others, the effects of war, uncertainty, grief, doubt, fear, and disorientation.As a community, we are invited to hold on to the cross, like the four human figures do in the Jubilee logo.
3. Prayer: Through baptism, we have become a pilgrim Church, headed for our heavenly home.We pray that God may help us renew our yearning for the heavenly treasure and journey towards it with hope. This is the gist of the Jubilee prayer.

The candle, cross, and prayer help us to understand the Jubilee Year of Hope much better and prepare us for a worthy celebration.

A Call to Action

Archbishop Mpako concluded his letter by exhorting all Catholics in the Archdiocese to participate wholeheartedly in the Jubilee Year. “May this Jubilee be an opportunity to encounter the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ of our salvation, and to become tangible signs of hope in the world,” he said.

The launch of the Jubilee Year 2025 marks the beginning of a journey of faith, hope, and renewal for the Archdiocese of Pretoria. With a comprehensive plan for celebrations at every level, the local Church is set to embody Pope Francis’ vision of a “genuine, personal encounter with the Lord” that uplifts individuals, families, and communities.

Source: www.ptadiocese.org.za