Polish Bishops at the opening of Jubilee 2025: A time of grace, hope and reconciliation
It is a time of special grace, mercy, indulgences, and opportunities for reconciliation with God and people – Polish bishops said about the Jubilee Year 2025 during the celebrations inaugurating it in Polish dioceses. They also encouraged people to become signs of hope. Opening Masses for the Jubilee were celebrated in all cathedrals and co-cathedrals on 29 December 2024.
https://episkopat.pl/doc/222781.Biskupi-na-rozpoczecie-Jubileuszu-2025-Czas-laski-nadziei-i
https://episkopat.pl/doc/222796.I-vescovi-poacchi-allinaugurazione-del-Giubileo-2025-Un-tempo
The President of the Polish Bishops' Conference Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda SAC, Metropolitan of Gdansk, opening the Jubilee celebrations in the Gdansk Archcathedral, pointed out that the inauguration of the Holy Year unites Christians throughout the world. “It is a unique day of uniting human hearts that turn towards God to benefit from His great mercy” – he said in his homily. “When we feel inwardly lost because of unresolved issues, conflicts, unforgiven grudges and harms suffered, disordered moral issues, when we lack the strength and courage to reconcile with someone, cannot cope with some weakness, then we are left with God with His mercy, who can do all things” – he said.
“The Holy Year is a time of grace, hope and forgiveness” – said Primate of Poland Archbishop Wojciech Polak during the inauguration of the Jubilee Year at Gniezno Archcathedral. The Primate emphasised that this is also a year of important historical anniversaries: The 1000th anniversary of the first royal coronations in Gniezno and the 1025th anniversary of the Gniezno archdiocese and metropolis, the oldest on Polish soil. “We need to go through life with hope. It is necessary to go with confidence” – Archbishop Polak pointed out in his homily.
“The Jubilee Year is not about going to Rome, but about reconciliation – about passing through the Gate of Mercy, which is the Heart of Christ” – said Archbishop Adrian Galbas SAC, Metropolitan of Warsaw, opening the Jubilee Year in the Archdiocese of Warsaw. Archbishop Galbas also stressed the great importance of prayer in the life of the family, as well as the value of hope. “Hope tells us: don't do it. Don't throw everything! Your life has meaning. Persevere. Persevere, don't desert. Seek help, but don't desert. Let us pray for such hope in this Year of Hope through Mary, Mother of Hope and St Joseph” – he encouraged.
The Metropolitan of Wrocław, Archbishop Józef Kupny, also spoke about hope at the Wrocław Archcathedral. “Signs of hope are not only to be sought around us, but we are to be them ourselves” – he said. “We are called to bring peace where there is war. Not only the military one, but in public and social life, and perhaps even in our family life. We must not heat up the atmosphere, inflame conflicts, but bring peace. Let us be pro-life while the world imposes a culture of death. We are called to the sick who need support, to the young who have great dreams for the future” – Archbishop Kupny underlined.
Press Office of the Polish Bishops’ Conference
