Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
by Marta Zhao
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) - The evening of Saturday 28 December marked the official beginning of the Jubilee Year in the Diocese of Beijing. Priests, nuns and numerous lay people gathered in front of the parvis of the Cathedral of Saint Saviour, where the Ordinary Bishop Joseph Li Shan and Coadjutor Bishop Matthew Zhen Xuebin presided over the opening ceremony of the Jubilee Year in the capital of the People's Republic of China. During the ceremony, Spes non confundit, the papal bull proclaiming the Jubilee, was read publicly. Later, those present passed through the Holy Door in procession singing the Prayer of the Saints.
Thus began in Beijing the journey of the Jubilee Year dedicated to the theological virtue of Hope, which in that diocese has also been associated with the opening of a special Year dedicated to the Family.
The guidelines for living this time are contained in the document entitled Pilgrims of Hope and Builders of Peace. These guidelines, in accordance with the bull “Spes non confundit” and the “Letter of Pope Francis for the remembrance in the particular Churches of their saints, blessed, venerables and servants of God”, signed on 9 November, include specific provisions to spiritually take advantage of the Jubilee at the diocesan, parish and family level.
Among the initiatives, the establishment of the “Day of Saints” linked to the local Church stands out. Starting on 9 November 2025, coinciding with the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, Catholics in Beijing will celebrate the memory of saints, blessed, venerables and servants of God who have a special bond with their local Church. These include Blessed Odorico da Pordenone (1286-1331), Blessed James Zhou Wenmo (martyred in Korea in 1795) and Venerable Matteo Ricci.
The Diocese of Beijing, where the feast of Blessed Odorico da Pordenone is celebrated on January 14, has indicated nine churches and shrines as possible destinations for jubilee pilgrimages. In the indications and suggestions shared to encourage everyone to live fruitfully the Jubilee of Hope and the special Year dedicated to the family, the call to live all ordinary pastoral works in a spirit of missionary conversion is repeated several times, according to the image of the Church suggested in the apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium: a missionary Church “open to all and for all,” in which individual parishes and communities are called to “open their doors,” welcoming and serving all with fervour and joy. All the baptized are encouraged to recognize themselves as pilgrims who resume their journey of faith, drinking from the sources of hope, to receive as a gift the “peace of heart.”
Indulgences, “Jubilee Maps” and “Cardboards” of Pope Francis
Many Chinese dioceses began the Jubilee Year on Sunday, December 29, the feast of the Holy Family, marking a new time of grace and communion. Among them are the dioceses of Ningbo (Zhejiang Province), Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), Xi'an and Sanyuan (Shaanxi Provinces), and Changzhi (Shanxi Province).
The inaugural events were full of symbolism, with processions and ceremonies featuring life-size cardboard cutouts of Pope Francis. These public expressions manifest the profound gratitude of Chinese Catholic communities for this time of forgiveness, healing and missionary impetus, lived in full communion with the universal Church.
In Hangzhou, Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang, present at the recent Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, urged the faithful to “treasure this Jubilee” and to grow in faith, hope and charity. Bishop Yang stressed: “I pray every day that during the Jubilee Year those who have lost their way will find their way back, and that light, peace and joy will accompany us on this Jubilee journey.” In addition, the diocese of Hangzhou has designed a “Jubilee map” that includes the churches designated for pilgrimages, highlighting the profile of St. Peter’s Basilica alongside the image of “Luce,” the little pilgrim doll symbol of the Jubilee.
In Taiyuan, Shanxi province, Bishop Paul Meng Ningyou stressed that the Jubilee is an opportunity to recognize that “our greatest hope is in God” and to bring this light to every corner of the world. Bishop Peter Ding Lingbin of the Diocese of Lu'an also encouraged the faithful to undertake a "pilgrimage of hope, guided by the glorious Cross of Christ."
The Jubilee message also resonated strongly among Catholics from ethnic minority groups in the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou. In these regions, the faithful participated in processions wearing their traditional costumes and playing native music.
On Sunday 29, in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, Bishop Paul Xiao Zejiang led the procession to the cathedral, highlighted by cardboard cutouts of Pope Francis. Bishop Xiao invited priests, religious leaders and other members of the faithful to attend the procession. The Holy Father called on the faithful and lay people to “actively participate in the Jubilee with faith, allowing hope to shine in their hearts and in the world.”
In Handan, in the province of Hebei, Bishop Joseph Sun Jigen presided over a solemn celebration in which the diocesan Vicar Xu Shuwen explained the spirit of the Jubilee and the special conditions for obtaining the plenary indulgence during this time of grace.
(NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 31/12/2024)
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