If you are planning a trip to Rome in the coming year, you may have heard the word ‘Jubilee’ being thrown around. What is the significance of that term for the city?
The Jubilee is an extraordinary Catholic religious event that draws millions of the faithful to Rome. Ever since the year of 1300, these pilgrims from all over the world perform a holy pilgrimage to the Eternal City.
The year of 2025 makes for a very special Jubilee year as it will be the first Jubilee since 2000. Normally, the interval between each Jubilee is 25 years, but an extraordinary Jubilee was held in 2015.
Although this is a deeply religious event, it presents a unique opportunity for all visitors to experience Rome in a special context.
Read on to learn more about the Jubilee 2025 and how it will impact your trip to Rome.
What is the Great Jubilee of 2025?
The great Jubilee year only occurs every 25 years, making the wait for such a spiritual year and event very anticipated.
This is the only time pilgrims can witness the opening of the Catholic “Holy Doors” that are only meant to be opened by the Pope during this year.
Several such doors are located across Rome; the most sanctified one is in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
The holy pilgrimage to Rome signifies personal spiritual renewal.
It symbolizes a believer’s journey to conversion, and an opportunity to get closer to God through prayers and obtaining plenary indulgence through acts such as confessions.
The Jubilee is also a powerful way to unite with the global Catholic community in physical presence.
Each Jubilee represents a specifically chosen theme in light of world events. For the year of 2025 the official theme is “Pilgrims of Hope”.
Pilgrims of Hope: The theme of Jubilee 2025
The theme “Pilgrims of Hope” as declared by Pope Francis is a call toward global humanitarian solidarity.
With majorly consequential international crises having surfaced in the past two decades, and ones that are currently unfolding in present day, this theme is relevant and highly impactful.
The Catholics of the world are invited to focus spiritual offerings toward the climate crisis, wars, economic inequalities and more. They are also encouraged to perform acts of kindness, donate to charities and make reconciliations in their personal lives.
The Jubilee 2025 theme will play a key part in all the events of the year.
What is the meaning of the Jubilee 2025 logo?
The above themes are portrayed beautifully in the official logo of the sacred year. Here is a breakdown of the various components:
- The cross symbolizes Jesus Christ and Christian faith as a whole. In a sense it serves as the centrepiece of the logo, emphasizing how the religion is a source of strength and miracles.
- The four figures are in different colours to represent diversity in people’s race, age, ethnicity etc. They are wrapped around each other to portray their closeness and protection of each other.
- The red figure is shown embracing the cross, and all figures appear to be moving upward, in a line, almost in a circular, ongoing motion. This demonstrates a procession, or a pilgrimage toward the cause of the cross, and a shared journey of hope.
Jubilee 2025 dates
The Jubilee year officially begins on 25th December 2024.
This start on Christmas day is symbolic as it connects to the sacred birth of Jesus Christ. On this day there is an incredible opening of the Holy Doors located in St. Peter’s Basilica. These are always kept sealed and are only opened for the Jubilee year for the pilgrims to enter and offer prayers.
The Jubilee 2025 year officially ends on 6th January 2026, with the closing of the St. Peter Holy Door.
There are other such doors to be opened as a spiritual event at the other major basilicas in Rome. These include:
- Basilica of St. John Lateran
- Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
- Basilica of St. Mary May
- Basilica of St. Lawrence
These basilicas will also hold masses, prayers and special celebrations throughout the year.
There will also be other kinds of events such as masses for the sick and elderly and unique candlelight vigils held across the Eternal City.
What to do during the Jubilee?
The Jubilee might be an overwhelming time to visit Rome, but it is also the most special period you could choose. You will be a part of an extremely sacred history just through your presence in the city. You can also choose to be a pilgrim yourself and properly celebrate the Jubilee year!
This is an incredible opportunity for Catholics and non-Catholics alike!
During the Jubilee year you can:
- Participate in religious events: We encourage you to go to the mesmerizing papal demonstrations. We also urge you to go to other key religious events such as masses, prayers and confessions at the major basilicas.
- Dive deep into specific cultural attractions: Take advantage of the Jubilee to explore the Vatican Museums, attend religious exhibitions and join spiritual conferences.
- Unique experiences: Rome will be brimming with experiential opportunities like never before, organized by the city as well as tour operators.
What to see during the Jubilee?
- The 5 Holy Doors located at the following basilicas: St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major and St. Lawrence Outside the Walls. These are unmissable spots during the Jubilee year, as pilgrims can and will pass through these doors for the purpose of spiritual renewal.
- Combine the exploration of these basilicas with a traditional Rome itinerary with classic sites such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
Where to sleep during the Jubilee?
With this being such a busy time for the city of Rome, it is highly advised to start booking your accommodation well in advance.
Try to choose places of stay that are closer to central neighbourhoods where all the Jubilee events will be unfolding, such as Prati, Vatican City and Trastevere. There are many options to choose from:
- Budget-friendly hostels, if you are trying to keep your costs of living in Rome as low as possible.
- Classic hotel accommodations
- Short-term rentals such as Airbnb, which are a great option for family stays. Heads up, as most regular rental apartments in Rome are being converted into Airbnb rentals for the Jubilee year, which means this should be a good option!
- Unconventional lodgings available specifically for the Jubilee, such as sleeping at convents, monasteries and religious guesthouses. For such accommodation you must be taking part in pilgrim activities.
Some practical tips:
- Look into the Monastery Stays website to find religious housing options
- Keep an eye out for pilgrim group discounts of lodging and transportation etc.
- Watch out for price hikes and drops at various residences
- Be aware of scams that are undoubtedly going to crop up during this time
- Contact your local Catholic organizations as they might have connections in Rome and can help you find accommodation.
Jubilee 2025 app
Did you know that there is an app specially designed for the Jubilee? It is called “iubilaeum25” and is available to download on all app stores.
This is your ‘holy grail’ for the time you spend in Rome during the Jubilee year. It plays a number of incredibly important functions:
- You can use it to register as a pilgrim officially taking part in the Jubilee. It will provide you with a free Pilgrim card that is your ‘ticket’ into many of the Jubilee events.
- Register your spot for the five Holy Door pilgrimages. The app will give you a QR code to allow entrance.
- Save events into your itinerary
- Use the maps to locate all the religious sites; make use of real-time information about crowds and transport to plan accordingly
- Make a checklist of prayers to perform for plenary indulgence
- Receive broadcasted messages from the pope
- Gather information about dining, lodging and public transport, especially if you are unfamiliar with Rome
This app is also available in six languages, making it an incredibly useful tool for the Jubilee year.
Jubilee 2025 prayer
There is a specific prayer that has been formulated for the “Pilgrims of Hope” theme.
Its words focus on the transformation of the world, and the renewal of and commitment to the Gospel.
It is already available and translations in various languages have also been provided.
You will hear this prayer being used at public and private prayers at the basilicas and at ceremonies, masses, chapels, vigils and more.
Customized Jubilee 2025 tours with Walks Inside Rome
The Jubilee 2025 year can be exciting and very overwhelming at the same time! It might prove to be difficult to navigate on your own, which is why we encourage you to take one of our specially designed Jubilee tours in 2025.
We can provide you with an authentic experience, special access to events and can even include visits to lesser known sites. Our Jubilee tours also provide the best assistant with logistics such as crowd management. The private group tours with the presence of a culturally insightful expert tour guide can allow for deeper reflections and discussions throughout the day’s itinerary.
Contact us at [email protected] to get more information about our Jubilee 2025 offerings!
