Jubilee of Priests Instituted as “Missionaries of Mercy”

Officially started with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on 24 December 2024, the Jubilee 2025 is the 27th ordinary universal jubilee in the history of the Church and the second jubilee celebrated by the current pontiff after the extraordinary one in 2015.

The entire jubilee period is characterized by a rich calendar of religious, cultural and social events: in addition to the celebrations and rituals addressed to all the faithful, the Holy Year is marked by several “jubilees” dedicated to different categories of people, identified according to specific professions or their role within the family, the Church and society. Each one includes moments of discussion and spirituality, with a concluding mass celebrated by the pope.

The days from 28 to 31 March are dedicated to the priests who have been appointed “Missionaries of Mercy”, a figure instituted by the pontiff on the occasion of the extraordinary jubilee of 2016 who is entrusted with the authority to absolve even those sins reserved for the Holy See. The program begins on Friday 28 March with two training sessions in the Paul VI Audience Hall and the celebration of “24 hours for the Lord”, the Lenten initiative of prayer and reconciliation held in the Jubilee churches, divided by language. On Saturday 29 March, it is possible to take part in the pilgrimage to the Holy Door, followed by the meeting with the Holy Father. The Jubilee of Priests Instituted as “Missionaries of Mercy” ends on Sunday 31 March, with the morning mass presided over by the pontiff and, in the afternoon, with the “Missa Papae Francisci” (a concert written by Ennio Morricone on commission of the Order of St. Ignatius on the occasion of the bicentenary of the re-establishment of the Society of Jesus) in the church of Sant’Ignazio. Admission to St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of Sunday Mass is completely free and does not require any type of ticket.