The motto for the Jubilee of 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope.” Pope Francis approved it in his audience, last January 3, to Monsignor Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.
Monsignor Fisichella confirmed it in an interview with the broadcasting station Telepace, published by “Vatican News.” According to the Prelate, the words chosen for the Holy Year’s motto refer to a key subject of Pope Francis’ pontificate, the Holy Father himself describing himself as a “pilgrim” on his journeys.
Preparations
The Holy See reported on December 26, 2021, that the Pontiff entrusted the coordination of preparation for the 2025 Holy Year to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. Monsignor Fisichella said that over these two years “there are many works to be done,” highlighting that it’s necessary to have a “solid preparatory impact” and to create an efficient organizational machine.
“I’m waiting for new pointers from the Pope to activate it completely,“ he clarified, although works have already started. One of the priorities is the reception of pilgrims and faithful, as many are expected in Rome during the Holy Year. It’s also hoped that, in the next two years, the coronavirus pandemic will not affect the development of the activities.
Finally, the President of the Pontifical Council confirmed that “contact with Rome’s Municipality, the Lazio Region and the Italian Government are underway so that everything unfolds with total security and in keeping with the capacity of hospitality that the city has always guaranteed.”
Exhibition of “100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican”
According to “Vatican News,” Monsignor Fisichella also mentioned in the interview the good results obtained from the exhibition “100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican,” which took place during Christmastide in Saint Peter’s Square until January 9.
According to the Prelate, the exhibition was “a great work of evangelization,” confirming that the number of certified admissions was 190,416 in total. The numbers confirm people’s attention to that “admirable sign,” as Pope Francis called it in his Apostolic Letter of 2019.
Monsignor Fisichella also said that many children, young people, and families admired the displayed works and that the manger inaugurated by Saint Francis in Greccio in 1223 continues to be a living custom that represents our origins, our identity, and our culture. It’s a richness of traditions we cannot give up.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
