PANAJI
As the Catholic Church prepares for Jubilee 2025, Archbishop of Goa-Daman and President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão has appealed to the Catholic community to enter the doors of places such as hospitals, orphanages, homes for the destitute, prisons, refugee camps, et al, where hope is dim.
Cardinal Ferrão was speaking after he released the 35 Council Notebooks in view of the preparations for the Jubilee 2025 and unveiled the CCBI Roadmap for the Jubilee 2025 preparations and celebrations. ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ is the motto of the celebrations of the ordinary Jubilee 2025.
“Our Holy Mother Church is now heading towards the First Session of the Final Phase (Universal Phase) of the Synod for a Synodal Church 2021-2024. We now have another celebration around the corner, Jubilee 2025, an ordinary Jubilee marking 2025 years of Jesus’ birth. Let us integrate the Jubilee 2025 celebrations with our synodal journey,” said Cardinal Ferrão.
“The purpose of the Jubilee 2025 is threefold: to celebrate Jesus, to celebrate the Church and to celebrate our faith,” the President of the CCBI reinstated.
“At the Jubilee 2025, our Holy Mother Church invites us to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’ As we prepare ourselves to enter the Holy Doors in Rome, let us also enter the doors of the places such as hospitals, orphanages, homes for the destitute, prisons, refugee camps, et al, where hope is dim,” Cardinal Ferrão highlighted.
There are two years of preparation for the Jubilee 2025: (i) 2023 as Year of the Council (Year of Learning); (ii) 2024 as Year of Prayer.
Pope Francis has expressed his desire that the four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council be studied to obtain direction and guidance for God’s people.
The Dicastery for Evangelisation has brought out 35 booklets giving background information to the Second Vatican Council and to the Four Constitutions on the Word of God, the liturgy, the Church as the people of God, and the Church in the modern world.
The Notebooks are translated into English for the world market and distributed by ATC Publishers India and published by the CCBI.
The Local Churches in India will inaugurate the Preparations of the Jubilee on November 26, 2023, Solemnity of Christ the King, unveiling the Jubilee Logo and initiating people into revisiting the treasures of the Second Vatican Council and revamping prayer.
The National Facilitating Team plans to visit all 132 Latin dioceses of India enkindling in every faithful the ray of hope.
