JUBILEE YEAR OF PRAYER 2025 OFFICIALLY INAGURATED IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NAIROBI
His Excellency the Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Hubertus Van Meghan, has led the Christian faithful at the Holy Family Minor Basilica in the opening of the Jubilee Year of Prayer 2025. This occasion which was a clarion call by Pope Francis, concurrently happened at different locations in Nairobi and Kiambu counties led by other bishops among them Archbishop Philip Anyolo the metropolitan archbishop of Nairobi.
At the heart of the Jubilee Year is the call for hope — a message of renewal and transformation, one that resonates deeply with the challenges of our times. As the Nuncio remarked, “There is hope for each of us.” He emphasized that Christian hope is not a passive waiting but an active invitation to transform our lives and the world around us.
In a world marked by uncertainties and struggles, Christians are called to be agents of hope. “Our role is to bring hope to the different situations of life,” the Archbishop said. It is this hope that allows us to rise above the bleakness of our circumstances, to renew our hearts, and to sow seeds of hope wherever despair threatens.
Hope, however, is not complacency. “Hope calls us not to delay nor to be kept back in old habits or wallow in mediocrity or laziness,” he continued. Instead, hope calls us to action, urging us to be disturbed by the wrongs in our world, as St. Augustine teaches, and to find the courage to change them. Hope calls us to challenge the status quo, to become pilgrims on a journey of truth, and to dream God’s dream for a world of justice, peace, and equality.
Archbishop Van Meghan’s words were especially poignant for Kenya, a country that, like many others, faces its share of social and economic challenges and more recently a wave of abductions of the young people. He emphasized that “we people of Kenya need to be upset with things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them.” This is a call for boldness — to take responsibility not just for our personal lives, but for our communities and our nation.
Christian hope, the Nuncio reminded us, is not passive; it is dynamic, bold, and compassionate. It empowers us to live with courage and conviction as we anticipate the fulfillment of God’s promises. This Jubilee Year of Prayer invites us all to rediscover the joy of meeting the Lord, to deepen our relationship with Him, and to recommit ourselves to the mission of bringing His hope to the world.
This Jubilee one of its kind was witnessed over 25years ago. Pope Francis stated in his February 2022 letter announcing the Jubilee 2025: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been to given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire…”
According to United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “During the Jubilee Year, the Church ceremonially opens the “Holy Doors” of major basilicas in Rome and some cathedrals worldwide. These doors symbolize Christ as the gateway to salvation. Pilgrims who pass through them during the Jubilee receive a plenary indulgence, provided they meet the usual conditions (confession, communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions).
The Jubilee Year offers the faithful opportunities to participate in various jubilee events at the Vatican and in their own dioceses. This great tradition of opening the Holy Door began with Pope Francis opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on December 24, 2024. Other Holy doors opened were; the Rome basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls.
