VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 083
DATE 05-05-2015
Summary:
- Presentation of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
- Cardinal Leonardo Sandri: signs of light in the churches of Iraq
- Audiences
___________________________________________________________
Presentation of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Vatican City, 5 May 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office,
Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting New Evangelisation, and Msgr. Graham Bell presented the Extraordinary
Jubilee of Mercy (8 December 2015 to 20 November 2016).
The archbishop began, "The Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, which
continues be the programmatic outline for the pontificate of Pope Francis,
offers a meaningful expression of the very essence of the Extraordinary Jubilee
announced on April 11: 'Such a community [the Church] has an endless desire to
show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the power of the Father's
infinite mercy. Let us try a little harder to take the first step and to become
involved'. It is with this desire in mind that we should re-read the Bull of
Indiction of the Jubilee, Misericordiae vultus, in which Pope Francis details
the aims of the Holy Year. As you know, the two dates already marked out are
December 8,the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - the day of the opening
of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica - and November 20, 2016, the Solemnity
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, which will conclude the Holy
Year. Between these two dates a calendar of various events is being developed.
"In order to avoid any misunderstanding, it is important to reiterate that
this
Jubilee of Mercy is not and does not intend to be the Great Jubilee Year of
2000. Therefore, any comparisons lack validity, for every Holy Year possesses
its own unique nature and aims. It is the Pope's desire that this Jubilee be
celebrated in Rome as well as in the local Churches; this will give due focus
to
the life of individual Churches and their needs, in such a way that the
initiatives will not place an extra burden on local Churches, but will blend
into their calendars and usual activities very naturally. Also, for the first
time in the history of the Jubilee tradition, there will be an opportunity for
individual dioceses to open a Holy Door - the Door of Mercy - either in the
Cathedral or in a church of special significance or a shrine of particular
importance for pilgrimages. Similarly, it is easy to cull other characteristics
from the Bull of Indiction that will make this Jubilee unique. From the very
beginning, however, the call to mercy breaks with the traditional pattern. The
history of Jubilees has been marked by their occurrence every 50 or 25 years.
The two Extraordinary Jubilees fell on anniversaries of Christ's redemptive act
(1933, 1983). This Jubilee, however, is based upon a theme. It will build upon
the central content of the faith and intends to call the Church once again to
its missionary priority of being a sign and witness in every aspect of its
pastoral life. I also have in mind Pope Francis' appeal to Judaism and Islam as
loci in which to contextualise the theme of mercy in order to foster dialogue
and a way of overcoming difficulties in the public realm. We must also not
forget another original characteristic of this Jubilee, namely, the designation
of Missionaries of Mercy. Pope Francis will give them their mandate on Ash
Wednesday during the celebration in St. Peter's Basilica. The Missiona ries
must be patient priests, possessing an understanding of human frailty but ready
to express the loving kindness of the Good Shepherd in their preaching and in
the Sacrament of Confession. However, I would rather not spend too much time on
these general questions, because it is important now to explain some of the
specifics pertaining to the organisation of the Holy Year.
"We begin with the logo which represents a summa theologiae of the theme of
mercy and the motto which accompanies it. The motto Merciful Like the Father
(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. The logo is the work of Father Marko
I. Rupnik. It is an image quite important to the early Church: that of the Son
having taken upon His shoulders the lost soul, demonstrating that it is
Christ's
love 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 that has 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, his or her own humanity and the future that lies ahead.
The scene is enclosed in a mandorla, an element typical of ancient and medieval
iconography, that recalls the coexistence of the two natures, divine and human,
in Christ. The three concentric ovals, with colours progressively lighter as we
move outward, suggest the movement of Christ Who carries humanity out of the
darkness of sin and death. Conversely, the depth of the darker colour suggests
the impenetrability of the love of the Father Who forgives all.
"The logo has been registered in the international forum in order to safeguard
its rights and to prevent any inappropriate use. It is obvious that permission
must be granted by the Pontifical Council for any non-religious use of the logo
and that any infringement will be duly prosecuted.
"The calendar of celebrations is to be read from three perspectives. First,
some events are being organised which most likely will involve large crowds of
people. We wanted the first event, which will be held from January 19-21, to be
dedicated to all those involved with the organisation of pilgrimages. It will
symbolically emphasise that the Holy Year is a true pilgrimage and should be
lived as such. We will ask pilgrims to make a journey on foot, preparing
themselves to pass through the Holy Door in a spirit of faith and devotion. It
will be essential to prepare those working in the travel industry sector to go
beyond the sphere of tourism, because they will be the first to provide
assistance to pilgrims.
"We thought it would be important to gather together believers who live in a
particular way the experience of mercy. It is for this reason that, on April 3,
we will have a celebration for those who in various ways are inspired by a
charism of mercy (movements, associations, and religious institutes). On
September 4, charitable volunteers will gather from all over the world. A
volunteer is a dynamic witness of someone who lives the works of mercy in its
various expressions and deserves to be celebrated in this special way.
Similarly,for those who are inspired in a particular way by Mary, there will be
a special day on October 9 to celebrate her as the Mother of Mercy. There will
be a number of events dedicated particularly to youth, who upon receiving the
Sacrament of Confirmation are called to profess their faith. For those between
the ages of 13 and 16, for whom there are few opportunities for involvement
within the ordinary pastoral life of the Church, we have reserved the date of
April 24, as World Youth Day, which will be held in Krakow from July 26-31, is
geared toward youth of an older age bracket.
"Another event will be for deacons who by their vocation and ministry are
called to preside in works of charity in the life of the Christian community.
Their Jubilee will be held on May 29.On June 3, which marks the 160th
anniversary of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, there will be a Jubilee
celebration for priests. On September 25 there will be the Jubilee of
catechists
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* Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)
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