Jubilation is not merely the art of celebration, though joy is undoubtedly part of its essence. In the ancient times of the Bible, the Jubilee signified the forgiveness of debts, the liberation of slaves, and the promise of new beginnings—a source of joy for those burdened by misfortune.

Looking at the world’s current events, we can only hope for the dawn of the Jubilee of 2025 over all peoples. First and foremost, peace in Sudan. What is happening in Sudan is not far from hell, especially in places where no journalists or NGOs can operate. Then, peace in Ukraine, where the people are suffering, compelled to defend themselves by taking the lives of young Russians and now North Koreans—youth who have never glimpsed a political horizon worthy of their potential.

Peace in the Middle East, where the Palestinian people are being displaced and deprived of the ability to live, where the fraternal peoples of Lebanon and Syria limp along the path to their futures, and where our brothers in Israel endure a government leading them into a historical dead end. For these nations and so many others, the worst is not inevitable. The Jubilee is a message of hope, proclaiming that a happy and peaceful future is possible.

The same applies to our Western societies, where sunlight is missing for women who live in fear within their own homes or endure poverty on the streets, for the thousands who hear no response when they call emergency shelters, for couples struggling with infertility, or for young people coping with the divorce of their parents. In all these cases, jubilation becomes a form of solace, enabling us to endure without losing hope.

Jubilation, then, is not about shouting for joy. It unfolds in a different mode. Above all, it is a movement to which the Church invites all the faithful and to which it commits itself—a movement that combines a deeper longing for love with a keen sense of hope. It transforms our hesitations into momentum and emboldens our generosity.

By jubilating, the future ceases to be a threat and becomes a friend. To jubilate is an act of faith, taking a full year to express—a year to console us for a bleak present and to build a fraternal tomorrow.

In a week’s time, we will be inundated with cries of "Happy New Year!" But as with every quarter-century, we will have the chance to respond with something both enigmatic and enthusiastic: Happy Jubilee!