L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 4 A H o l y Y e a r . A J u b i l e e Y e a r — a y e a r o f p r a y e r a n d plenary indul- g e n c e f o r t h e C a t h o l i c C h u r c h . E a s t e r , t h e m o s t theologically significant cele- bration and the heart of the liturgical year. In the midst of it all, Rome remains an undisputed and privileged destination, especially with the arrival of spring and the first long weekends of the season. This year, the con- vergence of these two reli- g i o u s e v e n t s , a l o n g w i t h Italy's secular holidays on April 25th and May 1st, will bring an even greater influx of pilgrims and visitors. For many, what begins as a sim- ple tourist experience or a prelude to summer vacations m a y t u r n o u t t o b e a f a r more intense and engaging journey than expected. T h e r i t u a l s o f H o l y Week are a major attrac- tion, even for those who are not religious. Palm Sunday, the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday, the evoca- t i v e V i a C r u c i s a t t h e Colosseum, and the grand Mass in St. Peter's Square celebrating Christ's Resur- rection are all deeply mov- ing moments. However, this year, these ceremonies will t a k e p l a c e w i t h o u t P o p e Francis, an absence as sig- nificant as his solitary pres- ence in St. Peter's Square d u r i n g t h e h e i g h t o f t h e pandemic. His recent hospi- talization, which upended the Vatican's schedule and t h e J u b i l e e c a l e n d a r , occurred just weeks after t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e H o l y Door at St. Peter's Basilica, marking the start of a spiri- tual journey that takes place every 25 years and calls the f a i t h f u l f r o m a r o u n d t h e world to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Faith, inner reflection, conversion, and reconcilia- tion—the Jubilee is also a great opportunity for dis- covery and understanding, particularly from a histor- ical perspective. It com- memorates an event that unites Christians and forms a key chapter in the life of the Eternal City, intertwined with ancient traditions and rituals that date back to the d a w n o f M e d i t e r r a n e a n s p i r i t u a l h i s t o r y . S o m e scholars trace the practice of dedicating an entire year as "sacred" back 5,000 years to the rulers of Mesopotamia, who would set aside time to erase past debts and allow for a fresh start. However, the true roots of the Jubilee lie in the Old Testament and t h e L a w o f M o s e s , w h i c h prescribed a special period of prayer and engagement with the Holy Scriptures. T h e v e r y w o r d " j u b i l e e " c o m e s f r o m y o b e l , t h e r a m ' s h o r n u s e d t o announce the beginning of these sacred celebrations—a t r a d i t i o n s t i l l o b s e r v e d today to signal the start of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day o f A t o n e m e n t . E v e r y 5 0 y e a r s , t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e d e c l a r e d a J u b i l e e Y e a r , during which fields were left fallow to regenerate the soil, enslaved individuals were freed, and confiscated lands were returned to their origi- nal owners as a means of restoring social balance. As stated in Leviticus (25:8- 13): "You shall count off seven weeks of years—seven times s e v e n y e a r s — s o t h a t t h e period of seven weeks of y e a r s g i v e s f o r t y - n i n e years. Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the sev- enth month—on the Day of Atonement—you shall have t h e t r u m p e t s o u n d e d throughout all your land. Y o u s h a l l c o n s e c r a t e t h e fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you." In the Middle Ages, the Roman Church replaced this i d e a o f d e b t c a n c e l l a t i o n with the concept of plenary indulgence—an extraordi- n a r y o p p o r t u n i t y f o r t h e faithful to receive remission of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven through Confession. T h e J u b i l e e o f 2 0 2 5 b e g a n o n D e c e m b e r 2 4 , 2024, when Pope Francis p l a c e d h i s h a n d s o n t h e H o l y D o o r o f S t . P e t e r ' s , opened it, and crossed its threshold, inaugurating a path of faith that serves as a n o p e n i n v i t a t i o n t o a l l Christians. Symbolically, the ritual references the Gospel of John (10:7), where Jesus says, "I am the door." Physi- cally, one crosses a thresh- old, but spiritually, it repre- sents a passage from one state to another. The jour- n e y f r o m s i n t o g r a c e through the Word is the act of conversion. This is why it i s c a l l e d a H o l y Y e a r — a time meant to demonstrate how God's holiness trans- forms and to promote a life of spiritual renewal. In this sense, the etymology of the Rome 2025: a unique year of faith, history, and culture BARBARA MINAFRA NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 The traditional Via Crucis at the Colosseum is among the events that, every year, mark the Easter season in the Capital (Shutterstock)

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