In a pastoral letter for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, Archbishop J. Michael Miller draws attention to the “disillusionment and despair” that grips a world without hope, particularly among young people struggling to find their place in it.

“Young people feel particularly disenfranchised,” he writes. “Their inability to secure meaningful employment, the high cost of buying a home, and the difficulties of raising a family lead many to lose hope in themselves, society, and religion. Too often, despondency takes hold.”

A pervasive “hope deficit” also affects members of the Church, he says, as the abuse crisis and the residential school scandal have led to “anger and discouragement.” Hope is also “put to the test when the Church appears as tired and sapped of enthusiasm,” he writes. “Christians, too, need a rekindling of hope.”

Pope Francis chose hope as the theme for the Jubilee “because of the tragedy caused by the coronavirus pandemic that generated so much disorientation and fear,” Archbishop Miller writes

Moreover, the Jubilee is being celebrated “at a difficult moment in the history of humanity, with the world still wounded by wars and violence, by the shedding of so much innocent blood.” Peace and brotherhood seem like impossible dreams, and many “are discouraged and look to the future with pessimism,” he says.

The Archbishop says hope is not mere optimism but a gift of the Holy Spirit that sustains believers through hardships. Quoting Pope Francis, he reminds the faithful: “Hope is not a possession you can put in your pocket. No, it does not belong to us. It is a gift to share, a light to transmit.”

“Hope overcomes all weariness, every crisis and every worry,” he writes. “It gives you a powerful incentive to press on.”

The pastoral letter outlines five ways Catholics can embrace the Jubilee:

  • Deepening faith in Christ,
  • Sowing hope through acts of service,
  • Take part in pilgrimages,
  • Receiving the Jubilee indulgence, and
  • Looking to the example of two soon-to-be canonized saints, Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

The Archbishop encourages the faithful to make a pilgrimage, whether abroad or to one of the designated places within the Archdiocese, to receive the Jubilee indulgence. 

Drawing from Pope Francis’ call to be “pilgrims of hope,” the Archbishop encourages Catholics to see the Jubilee as an opportunity for renewal. “We are called to be signs of hope for those struggling—the lonely, the sick, refugees, and those in despair,” he writes, urging the faithful to take active steps in their communities.

Pilgrims pass through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 25. In his pastoral letter, Archbishop Miller encourages the faithful to take part in pilgrimages, whether abroad or locally.  (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

He also points to Mary, the Mother of Hope, as a model of unwavering faith, recalling her steadfastness at the foot of the cross. “May the Blessed Virgin Mary inspire us to grow in trust in the Lord, echoing the final words of the Te Deum: ‘In you, Lord, is our hope, and we shall never hope in vain.’”

In his letter, the Archbishop points out that jubilees are traditionally held every 25 years, though extraordinary jubilees may be declared for special needs or occasions in the Church’s life, such as the Holy Year of Mercy in 2016. “Our Jubilee of 2025 is a preparation for the extraordinary jubilee in 2033, which will celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection.

The full pastoral letter appears on Pages 6 and 7.

For more information visit the Jubilee sites of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and the Holy See.

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