The Catholic jubilee of 1825 was an ordinary holy year celebrated every 25–50 years, offering remission of sins and universal pardon through pilgrimage to Rome.
Key Facts
- Tradition origin
- 1300, convoked by Pope Boniface VIII
- Jubilee frequency
- Every 25 or 50 years (ordinary)
- Biblical basis
- Leviticus 25:8 — every 49th/50th year
- Primary pilgrimage site
- City of Rome
- Type of jubilee
- Ordinary holy year
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Rooted in the Book of Leviticus, which prescribed a jubilee every 50 years for freeing slaves, forgiving debts, and manifesting divine mercy, the Catholic Church adapted this tradition beginning in 1300 under Pope Boniface VIII, establishing periodic holy years of remission and pardon.
The 1825 jubilee was an ordinary holy year in the Catholic Church, celebrated on the customary cycle of every 25 or 50 years. It involved pilgrimages to Rome, the granting of plenary indulgences, remission of sins, and universal pardon for the faithful who fulfilled the required spiritual conditions.
Ordinary jubilees such as that of 1825 reinforced the Church's spiritual authority and drew pilgrims to Rome, sustaining a centuries-old cycle of penitential observance. Extraordinary jubilees could also be declared between ordinary ones depending on ecclesiastical need, extending the tradition's reach into broader Catholic life.
Discovery & Impact
Periodic holy year of remission of sins and universal pardon in the Catholic Church
Institutionalized a recurring cycle of spiritual renewal, pilgrimage to Rome, and plenary indulgence in Western Christianity since 1300.