Franciscan Jubilee Year, 1/10/2026-1/10/2027

This Franciscan Jubilee Year, considered a gift for the entire Church and an occasion for authentic spiritual renewal, was inaugurated on Jan. 10 with a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See.  Until Jan. 10 of next year, the faithful can obtain this grace under the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope — by making a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world.

Furthermore, the elderly, the sick, and those who, for serious reasons, cannot leave their homes can obtain the plenary indulgence by spiritually joining in the jubilee celebrations and offering their prayers, pains, or sufferings to God.

In a world where “the virtual takes over the real, disagreements and social violence are part of everyday life, and peace becomes more insecure and distant every day, this Year of St. Francis spurs all of us, each according to our possibilities, to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of Christ,” the decree states. The Pope requests that we pray this prayer often during the Jubilee Year.  Learn more about St. Francis here.

History of Jubilees:   Jesus inaugurated the ultimate Jubilee Year when, in Luke 4:16-21, He proclaimed the opening words of Isaiah 61 and then declared those words “fulfilled in your hearing.”  “Jubilee” is the name given to a year which is marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.  It typically involves the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.  Every 25 years a jubilee is proclaimed.  Additional ones can be proclaimed by the Pope, as we see in the one now in effect honoring St. Francis of Assisi.  The name jubilee comes from the instrument used to mark its launch. In this case, … the yobel, the ram’s horn, used to proclaim the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This (Jewish) holiday occurs every year.  It takes on special significance when it marks the beginning of a Jubilee year.