J Pocket Introduction
Photo: Holy Door, St Peter’s Basilica
INTRODUCTION 2025JubileeinRome
2025 marks the year of the Jubilee in Rome, a significant event in the Catholic Church that is eagerly anticipated by believers worldwide. In this special occasion Notre Dame Rome has thought of preparing an informative booklet that could be useful to Notre Dame students, alumni and friends to learn more about this tradition and navigate the city better during this busy time
The Jubilee, a tradition dating back to the 14th century, is a time for spiritual renewal, reconciliation, and the experience of God’s mercy
During this years ’ Jubilee, pilgrims from all over the globe will flock to Rome to take part in the sacred observances, which include passing through the Holy Doors at the major basilicas of Rome
The Holy Doors symbolic gateways to God's mercy St. Peter’s Basilica,
St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major will be open from December 24, 2024 to January 6th, 2026.
Walking through these doors is a deeply spiritual experience, as it is believed to grant the faithful indulgences, which are seen as a way to remove the temporal consequences of sin and to receive God's grace.
Beyond the symbolic act of walking through the Holy Doors, the Jubilee also includes a variety of special liturgical events, including masses, prayers, and celebrations led by Pope Francis These events focus on healing, calling on individuals to reconcile with God, forgive one another, and work towards unity within the Church and the world
W H A T I S T H E J U B I L E E ?
The Year of the Jubilee, also known as the “Holy Year”, recurs every 25 years, although on the occasion of particular events an extraordinary Jubilee can be called for.
In the occasion of the Jubilee, the Catholic Church promises the remission of all sins to the believers that perform the religious practices officially outlined, such as pilgrimages to holy sites, charitable works, penitential deeds, and prayers.
Hope has been designated as the main theme of the 2025 Jubilee, as the virtue that the Catholics should embody the most in front of the brutality that so many are still facing across the world, as they rely on the salvific presence of God.
The 2025 Jubilee will not be confined to Rome Pope Francis has extended the invitation to dioceses around the world to participate in the Jubilee celebration, opening Holy Doors in cathedrals and designated churches globally.
This ensures that the experience of the Jubilee’s grace and mercy is accessible to Catholics wherever they may be, making the 2025 Jubilee a truly universal occasion
D I D Y O U K N O W ?
Nearby the building of Notre Dame
Rome you can easily visit some of the holy sites of the Jubilee that can give you a glimpse of the spiritual and artistic dimension of the city San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore are two of the four papal basilicas that represent one of the most popular jubilee routes.
At the nearby Scala Santa, you can see believers performing an impressive act of devotion: while praying, they climb with their knees the stairs believed to have been walked by Jesus for his interrogation at the palace of Pontius Pilate.
Photo: Papal Bull Antiquorum habet fida relatio (1300)
H I S T O R I C A L O R I G I N S O F T
J U B I L E E
The word Jubilee already existed in the Judaic tradition, referring to the practice of not cultivating the earth for one year, every fifty years – as a ritual to remember that the earth belongs to God, who also rested on the seventh day of creation. Jubilee comes from the Hebrew yobel, which indicates the horn of the goat, the instrument that would be played for the inauguration of the year In the Christian tradition, the Jubilee originated from a passage of Luke’s Gospel, where Christ, visiting the synagogue in Nazareth, reads a passage from Isaiah proclaiming “ a year of the Lord’s grace ” , referring to the Judaic Jubilee practice (Lc 4,18-19; cfr Is 61,1-2)
Notwithstanding the biblical foundation of the Jubilee, it is only in 1300 that the first Jubilee was proclaimed, by Pope
D I D Y O U K N O W ?
Among the pilgrims of the first Jubilee, it seems that there were some illustrious participants: Dante Alighieri and Giotto
In 1300 Dante was already a renowned poet and he was in Rome for a diplomatic mission on behalf of his city, Florence Boniface VIII, in his attempt at controlling Florentine politics, allied with the party opposed to Dante’s, who was exiled from Florence because of his political position In his masterpiece, the “Divine Comedy” (set, not by chance, in the same year of the first Jubilee), Dante condemns Boniface VIII to Hell, because the political involvement of the pope was considered a betrayal of the spiritual role the Church was assigned
Boniface VIII As one of the protagonists of the European political landscape, the Jubilee served Boniface in different ways His ascension to the papacy was contested by his enemies, so the proclamation of the Holy Year helped him reinforce his position as the leader of the Church, which at that time was deeply involved in the dynamics of European political actors He also established that the Jubilee should be proclaimed by the Church every one hundred years, a span that was soon reduced first to fifty and then to twenty-five years to allow every person to have at least one chance to obtain plenary indulgence in their lifetime Despite the political and economic reasons behind the pope ’ s choice, the birth of the Jubilee as a recurrent event
Giotto is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Italian painters. For his innovative style, he has been seen as the precursor of the naturalistic art of the Renaissance, being a model for other major Italian painters, like Masaccio and Michelangelo. Some of his most relevant works are the frescos in the upper Basilica of Assisi and the frescoes of the Arena Chapel in Padua, considered his most mature masterpiece At the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, in walking distance from Notre Dame Rome, there is a painting portraying Boniface VIII proclaiming the first Jubilee which is attributed to Giotto
of the Catholic Church is rooted in the religious practices of the Middle Ages, without which the first Jubilee would have not been as successful as it was.
Pilgrimages were a common devotional experience, but the impossibility of going to Palestine, at that moment under Islamic dominion, made Rome the reference point for those who wanted to embark on this spiritual journey As the city of the martyrs Peter and Paul, capital of the Roman Empire, and location of the papacy, Rome already counted in the Middle Ages some of the most important relics of Christianity, like parts of the True Cross that St. Helen brought from the Holy Land in the fourth century, now at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, and the Column of
Christ’s Flagellation, now at the Sacello di San Zenone in the Basilica of Santa Prassede Pilgrims would undertake difficult and sometimes dangerous journeys to go and adore such relics, leaving their homes and families for months, if not years. At the turn of the new century, a significant increase of pilgrims was registered, so that the medieval chronicler Giovanni Villani mentions that two hundred thousand people could be found in Rome every day, and the city had to introduce regulations for pedestrian traffic When Boniface VIII proclaimed the first Jubilee then, he did not create a new practice of devotion but rather institutionalized an existing phenomenon that still survives to this day
Photo: Boniface VIII proclaims the first Jubilee - Giotto (attributed)
H E 2 0 2 5 J U B I L E E L O G O
The 2025 Jubilee logo depicts four stylized figures, representing all of humanity, coming from the four corners of the earth These figures embrace each other, symbolizing the solidarity and fraternity that should unite all peoples The figure at the forefront holds onto the cross, a powerful sign not only of faith but also of hope This figure’s grasp of the cross signifies that hope must never be abandoned, especially during times of greatest need, as hope is an ever-present need in the lives of believers Beneath the figures, rough waves are depicted, illustrating that life's journey is not always smooth and calm The challenges of daily life and global events often require a deeper call to hope This is why special emphasis is placed on the lower part of the cross, which is elongated and transformed into the shape of an anchor, lowered into the waves
The anchor, a well-known symbol of hope, signifies stability and security In maritime terms, the "anchor of hope" refers to a reserve anchor used by ships in emergency situations to stabilize them in stormy seas
The image of the logo underscores that the pilgrimage of faith is not a solitary journey but a communal one It reflects a dynamic movement towards the cross, drawing humanity closer to it The cross itself is not static, but bends toward humanity, extending its arms to offer the certainty of its presence and the hope it brings.
At the bottom of the logo is the motto of the 2025 Jubilee Year: Peregrinantes in Spem (Pilgrims in Hope), written in green letters, a reminder that the journey of faith is one of hope, shared by all believers on their path together.
In order to take part in the main Jubilee events and to organize a pilgrimage to the Holy door, a pilgrim should obtain the Pilgrim's card, a free digital pass bearing the name of the holder.
The card can only be obtained by signing up on the website register iubilaeum2025 va/user or via the official Jubilee App for smartphones
After signing up for the Pilgrim’s card and accessing their personal account via the website or app, pilgrims will be able to sign up for their pilgrimage to the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica and all the other main events of the Jubilee
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The registration will allow an orderly access both to the Holy Door and to the main Jubilee events, at which large numbers of pilgrims are expected to be in attendance.
The website allows individuals or groups to register for events and highlight any disabilities or special access requirements It also makes it possible for pilgrims to modify or cancel bookings, as well as manage the time, day and month of their pilgrimage
Scan this QR code to register for the Pilgrim’s Card
E L E C T I O N O F E V E N T S
24 28-29 15 1-4
Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture
Jubilee of Volunteering
30 31 - 2 8-9 8-9
Jubilee of Persons with Disabilities
Opening of the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica DEC APRIL FEB MAY
Jubilee of Workers
Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly MAY
28 - 3 JUL - AUG 2025
Jubilee of Youth
6 JAN 2026
Jubilee of Consecrated Life
Jubilee of the Educational World
End of the Jubilee
The original tour follows a circular route of approximately 20 kilometers (or 16 miles), passing by the four major papal basilicas and the three most important minor basilicas: Basilica of St. John Lateran, Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Basilica of St Lawrence Outside the Walls, Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, Basilica of St Sebastian Outside the Walls.
Due to the length of the route, pilgrims often complete it over two days Initially, the entire tour would take a full day, from the first Vespers until the following morning
Later, the journey was divided into two days: the first dedicated to St Peter’s Basilica, and the second to the remaining six, starting at the Basilica of St. Paul and continuing counterclockwise, ending at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore The Via delle Sette Chiese, formerly known as Via Paradisi, links the Via Ostiense to the Via Appia It stretches from the Rupe di San Paolo near the Basilica of St. Paul to San Sebastiano, passing through a historically significant area rich in early Christian sites, including several catacombs (such as the Catacombs of Commodilla, Domitilla, and San Callisto)
Photo: Le sette chiese di Roma - Antoine Lafréry, 1575
PapalBasilicas
TheSevenChurchesBasilicas + MapLegend
NotreDameRome
St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square:
St. Peter's Basilica stands as one of Christianity's greatest architectural marvels Completed in the 17th century, it was built upon the site of a 4th-century church and has long been dedicated to the Prince of the Apostles, with the high altar placed above his tomb Filled with masterpieces and the tombs of several popes, the basilica's design involved renowned artists such as Michelangelo, Bernini, and Bramante
The Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, located in Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore, is the oldest Marian church in Rome, with its construction dating back to the second half of the 4th century, according to tradition The interior retains its early Christian layout, which is believed to have been inspired by a vision of the Virgin Mary given to Pope Liberius, when it miraculously snowed on Esquiline Hill on August 5 The basilica also houses the Cradle of Baby Jesus and the icon of the Salus Populi Romani
The Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura, located at Piazzale del Verano, is built atop the ruins of an early Christian church commissioned by Emperor Constantine The site marks the martyrdom of Deacon Lorenzo, who was burned alive on a gridiron in 258 Though bombed during World War II, the basilica still houses the relics of Saint Lorenzo.
The Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, located in Piazza di S Croce in Gerusalemme, was originally designed as a grand reliquary to house sacred relics associated with the Passion of Christ. Among its most venerated treasures are relics recovered by St Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 325 These include the Titulus Crucis, the Holy Nail, fragments of the True Cross, a thorn from Christ's Crown, and the phalanx of St. Thomas the Apostle's finger
The Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran, located at Piazza di S Giovanni in Laterano, serves as the Cathedral of Rome and is the oldest and most significant basilica in the Western world
D I D Y O U K N O W ?
The Roman dialect, known as Romanesco, is known for its sharp wit and sarcastic humor It’s a language full of playful expressions that often reflect the city's lively culture and irreverent attitude
For example, take the phrase “fare il giro delle sette chiese,” which literally translates to "taking a tour of the seven churches " This expression is used to describe a situation where someone has to go through a long, tiring, and sometimes
Consecrated in the 4th century, it is dedicated to the Most Holy Savior, as well as Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist Within its walls are the relics of the heads of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, preserved in a monumental Gothic ciborium from 1370 that stands above the papal altar
The Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, located in Piazzale San Paolo, was constructed in 324 on the site where the "Apostle of the Gentiles" is believed to have been buried since the 1st century. His tomb lies beneath the papal altar. Since the 8th century the Basilica has served as the headquarters of a Benedictine abbey, with the monks entrusted with the pastoral care of the site
The Basilica of San Sebastiano Fuori le Mura, located at Via Appia Antica 136, was originally dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul Since 258, it has housed the remains of Saint Sebastian, killed during the Diocletian persecutions In 1826, the care of the basilica was entrusted to the Friars Minor, and it remains a Franciscan convent today
seemingly pointless process in order to achieve their goal
It carries a tone of frustration and exhaustion, much like the English expression “jumping through hoops ” The phrase has its origins in the tradition of pilgrims walking long distances to visit seven important churches in Rome, symbolizing the effort required to accomplish something difficult
Credits:
Author
Rookshar Myram
Project Coordinator
Costanza Montanari
Graphics
Giulia Tiddens
Notre Dame Rome
Via Ostilia, 15
00184 - Rome, Italy
rome@nd.edu