Jubilee 2025: Answers to common questions

What does the Jubilee 2025 logo symbolize?

From the Dicastery for Evangelization:

“The Logo shows four stylized figures to indicate all of humanity from the four corners of the earth. They are each embracing another, indicating the solidarity and brotherhood that must unite peoples. It should be noted that the first figure is clinging to the Cross. The underlying waves are choppy to indicate that the pilgrimage of life is not always on calm waters.

“Oftentimes personal circumstances and world events call for a greater sense of hope. This is why the lower part of the Cross is elongated, turning into an anchor, which dominates the movement of the waves. As is well known, the anchor has often been used as a metaphor for hope. In fact, in maritime jargon, the hope anchor is the name given to the spare anchor, used by vessels for emergency maneuvers to stabilize the ship during storms.

“It should be noted that the image shows how the pilgrim’s journey is not individual, but rather communal, with the signs of a growing dynamism that moves more and more toward the Cross. The Cross is by no means static, but it, too, is dynamic, bending toward and meeting humanity as if not to leave it alone, but rather offering the certainty of its presence and the reassurance of hope. Finally, the Jubilee 2025 Motto, Peregrinantes in Spem (Pilgrims of Hope) is clearly visible in green.”

How do I gain an indulgence for making a Jubilee Year pilgrimage?

Indulgences are not superstitions, but rather, St. Paul VI says, a means of cultivating a “spirit of prayer and penance,” the practice of the theological virtues and acts of piety. The Church asks those seeking a plenary indulgence to be free of mortal sin by:

• Making a sacramental Confession within 20 days of the pilgrimage

• Making a pilgrimage to a Jubilee Shrine and participate at Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross, Liturgy of the Hours, Rosary or other pious exercise

• Receiving Holy Communion

• Carrying out the prescribed good works and/or prayers

• Praying for the intentions of the Holy Father on the day of the pilgrimage (usually the Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be or other suitable prayers)

What if I am physically unable to travel to a designated pilgrimage site?

Those who cannot make the Jubilee pilgrimage due to illness or other circumstances are still able to gain an indulgence by works of mercy and penance. Individuals are invited to take part in the spiritual movement that accompanies the Jubilee year, by offering up the sufferings of their daily lives and participating in the Eucharistic celebration. Other examples include visiting the sick, elderly or prisoners, as well as engaging in charitable acts, abstaining from social media, fasting and donating to the poor.