knisja.mt/ritrattiTista’ taqra bil-
Malti.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna will be inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee in the Archdiocese of Malta on 29 December, in an event that will be broadcast life on Newsbook Malta, RTK103 and Church.mt.
The celebrations of the Church in Malta will follow the official opening of the Holy Year by Pope Francis on Christmas Eve, which will see the start of the Jubilee year – which is centred on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” – marked by the opening of the Holy Door at the Basilica of St Peter.
The four Papal major basilicas in Rome – St Peter, St John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Walls and St Mary Major – all have special holy doors which are normally sealed with mortar and cement, but which are ceremonially opened during Jubilee years designated by the pope.
Malta’s celebrations will begin at 5pm on 29 December – a day which coincides with the Feast of the Holy Family – with a liturgical rite observed across the Catholic world.
The event will start with a moment of prayer led by Archbishop Scicluna at the St Paul’s Grotto in Rabat. The archbishop will then greet the congregation in the Basilica of St Paul, and the gospel according to John will be proclaimed.
An excerpt from the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee of Hope, titled “Hope Does Not Disappoint” (Spes non confundit) – the official document through which Pope Francis proclaimed the jubilee – will also be read.
The celebration will then continue with a pilgrimage following the cross, involving priests, religious and laypeople. The pilgrimage will lead to the Cathedral of St Paul in Mdina, where Archbishop Scicluna will present the crucifix as a symbol of hope for all believers and where he will lead a solemn mass at 6pm. This mass will begin with a commemoration of baptism, featuring blessings and the sprinkling of holy water.
The day will also see the archdiocese celebrate the Jubilee of Families together with the Cana Movement, with spouses, engaged couples and other families set to take an active role in both the pilgrimage and the subsequent mass.
Jubilees originally were an ancient Jewish tradition: the Old Testament speaks of a special year of remission of sins and debts every 50th year.
In the Catholic Church, the tradition dates back to 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII invoked a holy year.
Jubilee years are ordinarily held every 25 years, though extraordinary jubilee years may be proclaimed if deemed necessary: the last one took place in 2015-2016, when Pope Francis called for an extraordinary jubilee of mercy.
