Archbishop Fisichella: Jubilee a ‘path of hope’ in troubled times

By Benedetta Capelli - Rimini

Hope and forgiveness: these are the two key words that Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and organizer of the 2025 Jubilee, offered to the audience at the Rimini Meeting to explain the Holy Year that Pope Francis has declared with the Bull of Indiction "Spes non confundit" (Hope does not disappoint). 

During the meeting's roundtable "The Jubilee 2025," Archbishop Fisichella echoed the theme of the Communion and Liberation event, recalled that "without hope, we cannot grasp the essence of life.” “Hope," he said, "is essential to Christian life because, together with faith and charity, it represents the believer's way of life."

Hope that becomes action

The originality of the Jubilee’s proclamation, Archbishop Fisichella explained, lies in the unity of two elements: hope itself and “the ability to give, to offer, to participate, to put into practice concrete signs of hope.” The Archbishop recalled that hope involves “a personal journey for the whole Church, for humanity, which is why we are pilgrims. Especially in a time like this, with so much daily violence.”

Indulgence is God's forgiveness

"Profiting from indulgence,” the pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization continued, “is a phrase to be erased. I have never used this verb and would like it never to be used. There is nothing to profit from because there is nothing to buy."

Indulgence, he added, is a gift from God, and "the Jubilee is the announcement of great forgiveness given to us." 

Archbishop Fisichella recalled that Pope Francis, in the Bull of Indiction, emphasized that forgiveness does not change the past but can help us live the future better. This is a necessary direction to look forward. 

"In a climate of resentment, violence, and revenge, the Jubilee," he emphasized, "comes to remind us of God's great gift. Forgiveness, indulgence, is grace, not a conquest. Profiting from it means nothing. And the experience of God's forgiveness comes through a journey: pilgrimage, passing through the Holy Door, the profession of faith, acts of charity. The message is that God comes to meet you."

The 2025 Jubilee Roundtable

The beauty of the Gospel

In concluding the meeting, Archbishop Fisichella highlighted the immense work underway with the organization of the Jubilee, comparing it to the Olympics, explaining that behind the podiums, there is always a great invisible effort.

“If I may use this analogy, the work passes… the important thing is that we come to live the experience, winning 40 medals.” However, the desire that dwells in his heart is that the Church, through the Jubilee, “may become even more convinced of the beauty and responsibility of bringing the Gospel to everyone. Because the Jubilee is a unique expression of evangelization.”

Mayor of Rome on preparations

In a video connection, the Jubilee Commissioner and the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, spoke of the Holy Year as "a challenge that can make one tremble" but also a spiritual opportunity. It is a chance not only to make the Italian capital “beautiful, efficient, and inclusive” but also to ensure that it aligns with "the values indicated by the Pope: solidarity, inclusion, care for creation, and the duty to welcome everyone in the best possible way." 

Thirty-three million pilgrims are expected, more than 100,000 per day: significant numbers, the mayor explained, for which Rome will be ready.