Year of Mercy Information Package for Schools
The purpose of this package is to give you information about the Year of Mercy which can be
shared with staff, students, and parents. As the year progresses more information will be
forthcoming.
Contents:
Summary information that can be used in newsletters
News release from the diocese of Calgary
Explanation of the symbolism of the Year of Mercy logo
Background information about jubilees
Suggested Prayer Service for Year of Mercy (PDF attached to e-mail)
Powerpoint (Door of Mercy) – attached to e-mail
Summary Information for School Newsletters
What is a jubilee year? The practice of a jubilee year has ancient roots in the Jewish tradition and
evidence for it can be found in the Old Testament (for example, see Leviticus 25). The jubilee year was
called every fifty years and was a time for forgiveness. It stood as a reminder of God's providence and
mercy. The dedication of a year for this emphasis provided the community with a time to come back into
right relationship with one another and with God. As the practice of the jubilee year was adopted into the
Catholic Church, these themes of mercy, forgiveness, and solidarity continued.
How long will this Jubilee Year of Mercy last? Holy Years do not necessarily last 365 days. The
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Jubilee of Mercy will be less than a year long. It began on December 8 , 2015 and lasts until November
20, 2016.
What’s the difference between an ordinary Jubilee and an extraordinary Jubilee?
There are
ordinary Jubilees and extraordinary Jubilees. Since 1475, the ordinary Jubilee has been celebrated once
every 25 years. Extraordinary ones are called only for special occasions. Until now, there have been 24
ordinary jubilees and four extraordinary. The Jubilee of Mercy, convened by Pope Francis, will be the fifth.
The last extraordinary was convoked by Pope John Paul II in 1983. He also convoked the last ordinary
one, the Jubilee of the Year 2000.
What is the Holy Door? The Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome is normally opened just once every
25 years. In fact, a brick wall is built to cover it until it is torn down for the next Jubilee. Because this is an
extraordinary Jubilee, the Holy Door is being opened early (just 15 years after it was closed).
The Holy Door symbolizes the extraordinary way that Catholics can open themselves up to their faith. For
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pilgrims, the highlight of their journey is walking through the Holy Door. On Sunday, December 13 , for
the first time in the history of the Jubilee Years, there will be Holy Doors opened in all the cathedrals of
the world, and that local Ordinaries (Bishops) have been empowered for the occasion to offer the Papal
Blessing to all who take part.
To help raise awareness about the Holy Year of Mercy, a door in every school in CTR Catholic Schools
has been designated to bear the logo and message of this jubilee year.
What is the meaning of the Year of Mercy logo? The figure of Christ (the Good Shepherd) has a
person draped over his shoulders in the manner of the lost sheep that He seeks out. Jesus has taken our
humanity upon himself. His eyes are merged with those of man. Christ sees with the eyes of Adam (us)
and Adam with the eyes of Christ. The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of an
almond), a figure quite important in early and medieval iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of
Christ, divine and human. The three concentric ovals, with colors progressively lighter as we move
outward, suggest the movement of Christ who carries humanity out of the night of sin and death.
Conversely, the depth of the darker color suggests the impenetrability of the love of the Father who
forgives all.
Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
A Year of Mercy in the Diocese of Calgary
Pope Francis told members of the Synod of Bishops on the family that the first task of the
Catholic Church is not to hand down condemnations or anathemas, but to proclaim the mercy of
God... Furthermore, [T]he Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can
feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel. (Pope Francis,
The Joy of the Gospel, 114).
Declaring the upcoming jubilee, Pope Francis powerfully calls on the Catholic Church to
refashion as a place not of judgment but of pardon. Pope Francis never seems to be tired of
proclaiming and asking the faithful to experience God's mercy. Francis has made mercy a central
theme of his papacy, speaking of it often in homilies and in his texts. His apostolic exhortation,
Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), uses the word 32 times.
In proclaiming an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy he is drawing us into God's unfailing mercy,
strengthening, healing and equipping us to fulfill his plan for our life.
God doesn't tire of us, Pope Francis has said, but we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.
Join him in exploring the infinite love and unfailing compassion of the God who is always there
first, ready to receive and embrace us. Pope Francis wrote: I am convinced that the whole church
... will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God.
The Pontifical Council on the New Evangelization, with Francis' backing, has called on all
parishes around the world to remain open for confessions and to make this Sacrament available
most generously. Parishes are strongly recommended to make confessions available before
weekday Masses, besides the regularly scheduled confession times.
The jubilee year will formally open on Monday, Dec. 8, 2015 (Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary) with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica
at the Vatican. The other holy doors of basilicas around the world will then be opened as a sign
of God's opening a new pathway to salvation.
Our Diocese has finalized some events and activities and as this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of
Mercy rolls on more events and spiritual gatherings will be announced. Events planned so far:
1. Diocesan Pilgrimage for the Jubilee of Mercy at six designated sites by Bishop Henry:
a. St. Mary's Cathedral, Calgary
b. Corpus Christi Church, Calgary
c. Holy Cross Church in Fort McLeod
d. Holy Trinity Church in Siksika Nation, Cluny
e. Mount St. Francis in Cochrane and
f. Divine Mercy Centre in Balzac.
2. Opening of the Jubilee Door at St. Mary's Cathedral by Bishop Henry on Sunday,
December 13, 2015 (Third Sunday of Advent) at 10 AM.
3. Advent Celebration to mark the opening of the Jubilee of Mercy on Sunday, December 20,
2015 (3 PM to 5 PM) for all the faithful of the Diocese of Calgary. Come to a sung vespers and
listen to Bishop Henry's homily. This special event will take place at the Municipal complex
Atrium located at the City Hall, 800 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary.
4. The beginning of this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is planned to coincide with the 50th
Anniversary of the closing of the Vatican II Ecumenical Council, an extraordinary event of
the last century that we should all continue to celebrate. Parishes are encouraged to create
opportunities to study its four constitutions: The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
(Sacrosanctum Concilium); The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum); The
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) and The Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes). Diocesan events on these topics will be
announced soon.
Pope Francis summed up beautifully as he wrote: The Church feels a great need to keep this
event alive. With the Council, the Church entered a new phase of her history. The Council
Fathers strongly perceived, as a true breath of the Holy Spirit, a need to talk about God to men
and women of their time in a more accessible way. The walls which too long had made the
Church a kind of fortress were torn down and the time had come to proclaim the Gospel in a new
way. (Misericordiae Vultus, 4)
5. An evening of Divine Mercy in Song:
a. Friday, December 4, 2015 (7 PM) at St. Joseph Church, NW Calgary.
b. Divine Mercy Sunday, April 3, 2016 (3 PM) at St. Anthony's Church SW Calgary. Confession
at 2:00 PM.
6. Catholic Schools will be joining the Diocese with their own plans for the celebration of
the Jubilee of Mercy.
7. Each parish is encouraged to seize this wonderful opportunity to draw their own plans to
encourage parishioners to experience the mercy of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation
and to be agents of mercy to others, especially through outreach projects of mercy, such as
adopting a Refugee family, Feed the Hungry, Inn From The Cold and St. Vincent de Paul.
8. The Jubilee of Mercy prayer cards will be distributed to all the parishes and schools.
In conclusion, I would like to quote Pope Francis once again: I am convinced that the whole
Church will find in this Jubilee the joy needed to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God,
with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time. From
this moment, we entrust this Holy Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she might turn her gaze
upon us and watch over our journey. (Homily, March 13, 2015).
By: Very Rev. Jack Pereira, V.G.
Chair, Jubilee of Mercy Diocesan Committee
Explanation of Logo and Motto
The logo and the motto together provide a fitting summary of what the Jubilee Year is all about. The motto
Merciful Like the Father (taken from the Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an invitation to follow the merciful
example of the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness
without measure (cfr. Lk 6:37-38). The logo – the work of Jesuit Father Marko I. Rupnik – presents a small
summa theologiae of the theme of mercy. In fact, it represents an image quite important to the early Church:
that of the Son having taken upon his shoulders the lost soul demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that
brings to completion the mystery of his incarnation culminating in redemption. The logo has been designed in
such a way so as to express the profound way in which the Good Shepherd touches the flesh of humanity and
does so with a love with the power to change one’s life. One particular feature worthy of note is that while the
Good Shepherd, in his great mercy, takes humanity upon himself, his eyes are merged with those of man.
Christ sees with the eyes of Adam, and Adam with the eyes of Christ. Every person discovers in Christ, the
new Adam, one’s own humanity and the future that lies ahead, contemplating, in his gaze, the love of the
Father.
The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of an almond), a figure quite important in early
and medieval iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of Christ, divine and human. The three
concentric ovals, with colors progressively lighter as we move outward, suggest the movement of Christ who
carries humanity out of the night of sin and death. Conversely, the depth of the darker color suggests the
impenetrability of the love of the Father who forgives all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH4P9jA5Jjc Explanation of the logo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVuBT1CHEgw&list=PL5sexwzkyqUXgYK9AJZTgt2cRcJBY0hJR&inde
x=3 (logo explanation)
The origin of jubilees
The Year of Jubilee is not an invention of the Catholic Church. Rather, it is rooted in the
Old Testament. The Law of Moses, as presented in Leviticus 25:10-14, states that there
should be a year of jubilee every 50 years.
It was a wonderful year, announced with great fanfare. Property was restored to its
original owner. Slaves were set free and returned to their proper family. Debts were
forgiven. The land was left uncultivated. Jesus Christ, quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, announced
the completion of the Jubilee according to the Law of Moses with its replacement and
presented himself as being the new jubilee, not only to Israel but to humanity (Luke
4:19). He came down from heaven to redeem the world.
The numbering of the year for a jubilee in the Catholic Church is calculated according to
the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ as man. The Catholic Church marks the
beginning and the end of a Jubilee Year or holy year with solemn religious celebrations.
The underlying aim of every jubilee year is to deepen one’s relationship with God, to
renew and strengthen the faith of the believer, to encourage works of charity, to deepen
fraternal communion among human beings, and to obtain pardon of the temporal
punishment of sin — a call to an authentic personal conversion.
It is rooted in the Lord’s gift of mercy and forgiveness. This is why the celebration of the
sacrament of reconciliation (confession) is an integral part of each jubilee year. It is
above all a time for special graces (indulgences) from the redeemer.
There are two kinds of jubilees. The “ordinary” kind is celebrated every 25 years. There
have been 26 such events in the history of the Catholic Church. The other kind is the
“extraordinary” jubilee. The coming Jubilee of Mercy falls within this category. The last
extraordinary jubilee year was in 1987.
Previous jubilee years
The first time that a jubilee year took place in the Catholic Church was enacted in 1300.
At the time, Europe was recovering from devastating wars among Catholic rulers and
the ravages of the bubonic plague. Christians wanted to return to a holier way of living.
Thousands became determined to travel on foot and make a pilgrimage to Rome to pray
at the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul and to seek a blessing from the pope so as to obtain
special graces and persevere in their renewed Christian lifestyle.
Nobility and peasants flocked to Rome on Christmas Day 1299. Among the pilgrims was
Dante Alighieri, who wrote about it in his “Divine Comedy” (Canto XXXI of “Paradise”).
The reigning pope, Boniface VII, was moved with admiration for their faith, issued a
papal bull (Antiquorum Habet Fida Ratio) and declared that 1300 be a year celebrated
with the forgiveness of all sins. He also decreed that a similar jubilee year should be held
every hundred years.
The popes took up residence in Avignon, France, in 1305 (the Avignon Papacy: 13051377). As the year 1350 approached, many people, experiencing the initial ravages of the
Black Death, requested Pope Clement VI to declare 1350 as a jubilee year rather than
wait for the year 1400. He consented to the request and determined that a jubilee year
be held every 50 years.
However, once the papacy returned to Rome, Pope Urban VI decided to reduce the time
between jubilees to 33 years — in honor of the length of the earthly life of the Lord —
and declared 1390 as a jubilee year. He died on Oct. 15, 1389. Pope Boniface IX presided
over the Jubilee Years of 1390 and 1400. Pope Martin V decided that 1425 and not 1433,
as formerly set, should be a jubilee year. The marking of a jubilee year every 25 years
was set via papal bull by Pope Paul II in 1470. So, the next jubilee year was to be 1475.
The pope died on July 26, 1471 and the jubilee year was presided by Pope Sixtus IV.
Pope Alexander VI declared that for the jubilee year 1500, he would personally open the
Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. This was the last time that a holy door of the ancient
Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter’s would be opened, before its initial and slow
dismantling in 1506. It was replaced by our present St. Peter’s Basilica, which took 120
years to finish.
By the time that the jubilee year 1525 began, the Protestant Reformation had taken root
and all of Europe would soon enter a great religious and social crisis, including the (last)
sack of Rome by Protestant soldiers of the Catholic Emperor Charles V in 1527.
The Council of Trent (1545-1563) was in suspension when Pope Paul III proclaimed the
jubilee year 1550. He died Nov. 10, 1549, and the celebrations were carried out by Pope
Julius III. Vast crowds flocked to Rome despite the grave Catholic-Protestant crisis.
Pope Gregory XIII, who gave us our modern calendar in 1582, proclaimed the jubilee
year 1575 and some 300,000 pilgrims visited Rome.
The jubilee years of 1600, 1625 and 1650 were proclaimed respectively by Popes
Clement VIII, Urban VIII and Clement X.
Pope Innocent XII declared the jubilee year 1700. He died on Sept. 27, 1700 and the
jubilee year was closed by Pope Clement XI. Pope Innocent XII was the first pope to
offer substantial shelter and assistance to pilgrims travelling to Rome specifically for the
jubilee year. A similar program was offered by Pope Benedict XIII, who proclaimed the
jubilee year 1725. The 14 Stations of the Cross inside the ruins of the Roman Coliseum
were erected during the jubilee year 1750, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XIV.
The jubilee year 1775 was proclaimed by Pope Clement XIV. Since he died on Sept. 22,
1774, the celebrations took place under Pope Pius VI. This is the pope who established
the first diocese (Baltimore) in the United States on Nov. 26, 1784. This same pope lived
through the French Revolution and was taken prisoner by the French Republican troops
on Feb. 20, 1798, dying in exile at Valence on Aug. 29, 1799.
This pontificate was followed by an interregnum of over six months (August 1799-March
1800), until the election of Pope Pius VII in Venice. There was no jubilee year to mark
1800.
Pope Leo XII proclaimed the jubilee year 1825. More than half a million pilgrims went
to Rome. There was no jubilee year in 1850, as Pope Pius IX was in exile (November
1848-April 1850). However, he was able to declare the jubilee year 1875, though there
was no ceremony of the opening of the holy door because at the time Rome was
occupied by the Italian troops of King Victor Emanuel II.
Pope Pius IX gave the United States its first cardinal, John McCloskey of New York. He
is also, to date, the longest-reigning pope (1846-1878) in the history of the Catholic
Church. He is also the last pope to reign as sovereign of the Papal States.
Pope Leo XIII welcomed the 20th century by declaring the jubilee year 1900. Pope Pius
XI proclaimed the Jubilee Year 1925. He declared the extraordinary jubilee year 1933 to
mark the 1900th anniversary of redemption.
Pope Pius XII declared the jubilee year 1950. It was during this year, on Nov. 1, that he
proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul,
into heaven.
Pope Paul VI declared the jubilee year 1975. Pope John Paul II declared the
extraordinary Jubilee Year 1983 to mark the 1950th anniversary of redemption, as well
as the jubilee year 2000, known as the Great Jubilee.
The upcoming Jubilee of Mercy starts this coming December on the heels of the XIV
Ordinary General Assembly (Oct. 4- 25, 2015) to treat the topic, “The Vocation and
Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World.” It is reasonable to
assume that the theme of mercy will be a very important feature during this gathering.
Retrieved from http://www.angelusnews.com/news/vatican/the-jubilee-of-mercy-7832/#.VrTXkD_2ZMs
February 5, 2015
http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/docs/documents/ju_documents_17-feb-1997_history_en.html
The Jubilee in the History of the Church
1300 On Christmas 1299, in the wake of much suffering from war and
plague, many people came to Rome, to repent at the tombs of Sts.
Peter and Paul. In response, Pope Boniface VII proclaimed a "year of
forgiveness of all sins". 1300 was thus the first ordinary Jubilee year.
1350 While the Apostolic See was in Avignon, France (1305-1377), Pope
Clement VI called for a Jubilee every fifty years, marking 1350 as the
time for the second. He also added St. John Lateran to the Basilicas of
Sts. Peter and Paul to be visited by jubilee pilgrims. Pope Urban VI
increased the frequency of Jubilees to every thirty-three years,
according to Our Lord’s span of life on earth.
1390 Accordingly Pope Boniface IX opened the Holy Door Christmas Eve
1390.
1400 But the number of pilgrims was so great he called another Holy Year
in 1400.
1425 Pope Martin V proclaimed a Holy Year twenty-five years later (rather
than thirty-three), with a commemorative Medal and the opening of a
Holy Door in St. John Lateran.
1450 Pope Nicholas V followed suit, calling for a Holy Year in 1450, and in
1470 Pope Paul II fixed frequency at every twenty-five years.
1475 Accordingly, 1475 was proclaimed the next Holy Year by Pope Sixtus
IV, who ordered the building of the Sistine Chapel and the Sixtus
Bridge over the Tiber for the occasion.
1500 For the eighth Jubilee, Pope Alexander VI ordered the Doors in the
four major basilicas to be opened at once, the Pope himself opening
the Holy Door of St. Peter’s.
1525 The ninth jubilee was called by Pope Clement VII with the Protestant
Reformation on the horizon.
1550 Proclaimed by Paul III, the next Holy Year was opened by Pope Julius
III, at which St. Philip Neri was present, helping to assist with the
massive influx of pilgrims.
1575 The numbers increased. In the 11th Holy Year, called by Pope Gregory
VIII, as many as 300,000 pilgrims came to Rome from all over Europe.
1600 12th Jubilee, called by Pope Clement VIII
1650 13th Jubilee, called by Pope Urban VIII
1675 14th Jubilee, called by Pope Clement X
1700 To accommodate pilgrims to Rome, Pope Innocent X established the
Hospice St. Michele a Ripa, one of Rome’s best known charitable
institutions.
1725 Similar institutions were opened to accommodate pilgrims for the next
Holy Year, called by Pope Benedict XIII.
1750 In the 17th Holy Year, called by Pope Benedict XIV, St. Leonard of Port
Maurice set up the Stations of the Cross in the ruins of the Coliseum.
1775 Pope Clement XIV announced the Jubilee, but the Holy Door was
opened by his successor Pope Pius VI. Pope Pius VII declined to call
a Holy Year for 1800, while Napoleon ruled.
1825 More than half a million pilgrims journeyed to Rome for the 19th Holy
Year, for which Pope Leo XII substituted Santa Maria in Trastevere for
St Paul’s as a pilgrimage site, since the latter was being rebuilt after a
fire. In 1850, unsettled conditions in Rome, with the temporary exile of
Pope Pius IX, prevented calling a Holy Year.
1875 Pope Pius IX did proclaim the next Holy Year, even though the Holy
Door was not opened due to the occupation of Rome by King Vittorio
Emmanuele.
1900 At the 21st Jubilee, Pope Leo XIII opened the 20th century with six
beatifications and two canonizations (St Jean Baptist de La Salle and
St Rita of Cascia).
1925 For the next Holy Year, Pope Pius XI asked the faithful to pray for
peace among peoples, in order to gain the Jubilee Indulgence.
1950 For the mid-20th century, Pope Pius XII called for the following
intentions: prayer and penance for the sanctification of souls, unfailing
faith in Christ and His Church, action for peace and protection of the
Holy Places, defense of the Church against her enemies, prayers for
faith to be given unbelievers and those in error, promotion of social
justice, and assistance of the poor and needy. In the same Holy Year,
the Pope defined the Assumption of Our Lady as a dogma of the
Catholic Faith.
1975 The last ordinary Jubilee, called by Pope Paul VI, had two main
themes, Renewal and Reconciliation, to guide the faithful toward the
Third Millennium.