Jubilee of the Eastern Churches

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. Aside from celebrations and rituals addressed to all the faithful, the Holy Year’s program includes 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 dialogue and spirituality, with a concluding mass celebrated by the pope.

The days from 12 to 14 May are dedicated to all the faithful and representatives of the Eastern Catholic Churches, with their patriarchs and metropolitans. The celebrations will start on Monday 12 May with liturgies in the Ethiopian rite (8.30 a.m., St Peter’s Basilica), in the Armenian rite (1 p.m., St Mary Major’s Basilica) and in the Coptic rite (3 p.m., St Mary Major’s Basilica). The program for the following day will include the audience with the Pope or his representative; the liturgy in the Syro-Oriental rite (p.m., St Peter’s Basilica); Vespers in the Syro-Western rite (6.45 p.m., St Mary Major’s Basilica) followed by the Akathistos, an ancient religious hymn belonging to the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church (9 p.m.) in the piazza in front of the Basilica. The Jubilee of the Oriental Churches will close on Wednesday 14 May with the liturgy in the Byzantine rite in St Peter’s Basilica (2pm).

The program may be subject to change.