Spes non confundit. "L'esperança no defrauda": Butlla de convocació del Jubileu 2025

by Pope Francis, Papa Francesc, Gabinet d'Informació de l'Església de Catalunya (translator)

Tradition has it that each Jubilee is proclaimed through the publication of a Papal Bull (or Papal Bull) of Indiction. A "Bull" is an official document, usually written in Latin, with the seal of the Pope, the form of which gives the document its name. In the beginning, the seal was usually made of lead and bore on the front the image of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Founders of the Church of Rome, and on the back the name of the Pontiff. Later, an ink stamp will replace the metal seal, but this will continue to be used for larger documents. Each Bubble is identified by its initial words. For example, St. John Paul II proclaimed the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 with the Bull Incarnationis mysterium ("The Mystery of the Incarnation"), while Pope Francis proclaimed the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2015-2016) with the Bull Misericordiae vultus ("The Face of Mercy"). The Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee, which indicates the dates of the beginning and end of the Holy Year, is usually issued the previous year, coinciding with the Solemnity of the Ascension. For the Jubilee of 2025, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, read the bull Spes non confundit, during the delivery ceremony in the atrium of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, on May 9, 2024.

Genres: Nonfiction, Faith

50 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2024

About the author

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) was the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he held ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and Sovereign of the Vatican City. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III, who died in 741.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He was accused of handing two priests to the National Reorganization Process during the Dirty War, but the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina, and the administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political rival. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March.

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis had been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, concern for the poor, and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He was credited with having a humble, less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as Cardinal. He maintained that the church should be more open and welcoming. He did not support unbridled capitalism, Marxism, or Marxist versions of liberation theology. Francis maintained the traditional views of the church regarding abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, ordination of women, and priestly celibacy. He opposed consumerism, irresponsible development, and supported taking action on climate change, a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si'. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Reviews

[Fiza Pathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Spes Non Confundit’ is a must read for the Catholic clergy, religious, and laity to understand the significance of the Jubilee Year 2025. Pope Francis has done a great job in explaining in simple terms the way the Jubilee celebrations will start from the 24th of December 2024 and will finally conclude on the 6th of January 2026. That latter date will be when the ordinary Holy Year Jubilee will actually conclude so Catholics, take note of the correct date.

The virtue to cultivate this Jubilee Year therefore I gather will be Hope obviously which is a part of the three Spiritual Virtues namely Faith, Hope, and Charity. The reason for this theme is explained very well in this Bull of Indiction with an additional note given reminding the reader of the earlier Jubilee Year theme of Mercy. Now that was a really wonderful year – before everyone went crazy globally! Do you remember, it was in 2015?!

I remember that Jubilee Year being something of an overnight spiritual revolution in the Catholic world with the guidance of the then newly elected Pope Francis. Every Catholic book in the market was related to Mercy that year and there was a renewed fervor among the laity related to various acts of Mercy on a phenomenally large scale. I remember my Parish was very much involved in the Prison ministry activities in connection to this theme and so we had many parishioners opting for visiting prisoners in confinement on an almost weekly basis.

This time Hope is the main theme especially focusing on the fact that it is necessary for us to understand that we are currently having these piecemeal Third World War (Wars?) going on globally in different parts of the planet. Not to mention the fact that we still have the audacity and reckless gumption to continue waging an ultimate Third World War on the planet’s resources at this crucial time period when it is a now or never situation. Either we save whatever is left of the environment NOW or just realize that we will be the last generation to have ever lived on this planet for a long period of time without an oxygen mask, with a cylinder attached to our faces whenever we try to venture outdoors! It is already way too late, but at least certain unnecessary ‘over-expenditures’ in the name of ego hassles and to bolster a banal fake macho-men image (images?) should be terminated period.

Pope Francis has been very blunt here in this Bull and I appreciate his stand on this matter. Certain portions made me want to cry, especially the well-chosen and placed quotes of Saint Augustine of Hippo as well as certain portions of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Trust this Pontiff to make something positive even out of a black hole of a mess! I have my differences with Papa, even in this Bull, but he sure does know how to write an impactful Homily without using any high-brow theological jargon which really impacts the astute and discerning laity positively! Many Catholics are mistaken when they feel Pope Benedict XVI to have been more of an intellectual theological Pope than Papa, and this is especially seen in this Bull and Papa’s take on the Biblical Allegorical Perspective on the Letter to the Romans and even the 1st Letter to the Corinthians in certain portions. I’m amazed at his deep and unique understanding of Biblical Theology; it seems that he knows more than he tries to portray to the world.

However, certain parts of the Bull relating to procreation is a bit questionable, especially for those of us (most of us!) who have been educated in a practical and secular mindset and who know that if we wish to save the environment and conserve our limited or rather scanty resources, then creating more humans than we can feed is going to be suicidal to this planet. But it looks like everyone globally, especially the powers that be, are in a suicidal mood so sometimes I wonder why some of us even bother!

I appreciated the points related to the opening of the many Holy Doors and will take note of the same. The many different ways Hope can be cultivated among the downtrodden, impoverished, marginalized, oppressed, etc, are worthy to be meditated upon. ‘Spes Non Confundit’ or ‘Hope Does Not Disappoint’ gets 4 stars from me.

[Meredith Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Papal Bull I’ve ever read. I love how Papa F. frames the Christian life in terms of hope and also how he makes it real for us and packs a charitable peace studies punch that compels us to action for the sake of the Gospel. I led our adult formation group in reading it and we had a blast. Definitely got me into the jubilee year spirit!!!

“For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (c.f. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere, and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1).”

[Joona Tuomela]

Spes non confundit — eikä toivo ole turha — on edesmenneen paavi Fransiscuksen viimeisiksi jääneitä julkaisuja. Riemuvuoden 2025 viettoon katolisia opastava bulla on luterilaiselle valaisevaa mutta hämmentävää luettavaa. Kirjanen on suunnattu maallikoille, joten se on mukavan yksinkertaista ja konkreettista tekstiä. Tämä tekee bullasta hyödyllisen myös luterilaiselle lukijalle: se tuo teologian käytännön tasolle ja valaisee sitä, miltä katolinen usko tavallisen ihmisen elämässä näyttää. Samalla se on kuitenkin hämmentävä sekoitus pohdintoja pyhiinvaelluksista, aneista ja mariaanisista hartaudenharjoituksista. Lukemisen jälkeen päällimmäinen olo on ihmetys siitä, miten epäraamatullisella pohjalla maailman suurin kristillinen kirkko seisoo.

[booklady]

This is one of those documents to which I cannot assign a rating. Maybe someone with more knowledge or holiness can do so, but that person is not me.

I read it and liked certain parts of it. The constant emphasis on the Divine Virtue of Hope is much needed. So many today are bogged down by problems and troubles, war, riots, rising prices, families breaking apart, death, especially by suicide and euthanasia, abortion, fighting, fighting, fighting, that we forget all the Good that our Good God has given each of us. Yes, there are terrible problems facing us (largely of our own making). I am not a Pollyanna, but to ignore this Divine Virtue is to give way to despair, an even more terrible sin.

I was excited to learn that: ‘The Jubilee Year will also coincide with a significant date for all Christians, namely, the 1700th anniversary of the celebration of the first great Ecumenical Council, that of Nicaea.’

Also, I like what Pope Francis wrote here: ‘…the indulgence is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms “mercy” and “indulgence” were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds.’ Something which probably most Catholics—never mind the rest of the world—do not know.

This however was my favorite part: ‘Openness to life and responsible parenthood is the design that the Creator has implanted in the hearts and bodies of men and women, a mission that the Lord has entrusted to spouses and to their love. It is urgent that responsible legislation on the part of states be accompanied by the firm support of communities of believers and the entire civil community in all its components. For the desire of young people to give birth to new sons and daughters as a sign of the fruitfulness of their love ensures a future for every society. This is a matter of hope: it is born of hope, and it generates hope.’

Personally, I would like to see the plethora of anti-abortion/pro-life groups join together (there are SO many of them and they are all in competition for donor’s limited funds!) to operate more cost- and manpower-effectively, that they may have the resources to help young families. Ever since I was a young mother, it seemed to me that the Catholic church was very interested in making sure you had children, but not very interested in helping young families once the children were born, which is a HUGE mistake!

Easter 2025 will be April 20th and is very special because it will be celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox alike. On a personal note, it will be special for my husband and I—God willing—because we will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. Praise and thanks be to God forever and ever!

Here is the link to the Bull: For more information: https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/it/giubi...

Here is the link to the website for the upcoming Jubilee: https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/it.html

May God indeed bless us with an outpouring of Graces, the like of which we have never seen before! In His Son, Jesus' Name.

[Jose Torroja Ribera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy bonita bula para el inicio del Año Santo, enfocada a la esperanza.

[Antonio Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025, Año Santo y de gracia. Jubileo de la esperanza. El año de mi matrimonio.

"La esperanza cristiana, de hecho, no engaña ni defrauda, porque está fundada en la certeza de que nada ni nadie podrá separarnos nunca del amor divino: «¿Quién podrá entonces separarnos del amor de Cristo? ¿Las tribulaciones, las angustias, la persecución, el hambre, la desnudez, los peligros, la espada? [...]. Pero en todo esto obtenemos una amplia victoria, gracias a aquel que nos amó. Porque tengo la certeza de que ni la muerte ni la vida, ni los ángeles ni los principados, ni lo presente ni lo futuro, ni los poderes espirituales, ni lo alto ni lo profundo, ni ninguna otra criatura podrá separarnos jamás del amor de Dios, manifestado en Cristo Jesús, nuestro Señor» (Rom 8,35.37-39). He aquí por qué esta esperanza no cede ante las dificultades: porque se fundamenta en la fe y se nutre de la caridad, y de este modo hace posible que sigamos adelante en la vida. San Agustín escribe al respecto: «Nadie, en efecto, vive en cualquier género de vida sin estas tres disposiciones del alma: las de creer, esperar, amar»"

Has querido Dios que por casualidad providencial en el año del Jubileo de la Esperanza sea bendecido con el sacramento del matrimonio junto con aquella que es reflejo de tu Amor en mi vida, gracias a la cual te conocí y la que es la respuesta constante a mis oraciones. Nosotros nos amamos porque tu nos amaste primero y unido a ti y en ti reconozco en mi prometida a tu Voluntad Encarnada en mi camino, camino de Esperanza, que es la vida en ti y contigo, y me pides que lo recorra por medio de la rendición y sumisión amorosa de mi vida a ella, fuente de mi alegría a imagen tuya. Que tu misericordia nos salva, y no nuestros méritos, me lo enseñas en este don inmerecido que es su amor correspondido, sus gestos y su cariño que prefiguran el paraíso, que son las bodas contigo, con quien estaremos unidos ya, por siempre, en una eternidad sin límites donde tu mirada no será cortada, como el mundo impone a la suya, que deseara fijar por siempre.

En este Santo Jubileo te pido que nos concedas prepararnos para amarnos por tu amor, que nos concedas un matrimonio santo y un sometimiento y entrega mutua que nazca del servicio por ti. Que seamos don, el uno para el otro, que permita conocernos. Que nuestra esperanza en la boda alimente la Esperanza en aquellas contigo, en el cielo, para siempre.

[Cesar Atayde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introducción más que necesaria para entender lo que se espera para el año del jubileo. Enorme compromiso amoroso.

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assolutamente da leggere, a maggior ragione se si ha intenzione di partecipare al giubileo!
Che bella l'attenzione di Papa Francesco per le persone che noi chiamiamo "ultime", dai poveri, ai detenuti, passando per i migranti... è come se attraverso questa bolla di induzione si intravedesse lo sguardo di Dio che sceglie di mettere al centro chi è senza speranza.
E poi, che bello il passaggio sul sacramento della Riconciliazione! Dovrebbe essere davvero un momento in cui si corre incontro al Padre e si sceglie stare tra le Sue braccia, eppure quante volte, laici e consacrati, facciamo esattamente l'opposto, me per prima?

Buon anno giubilare a tutti, la luce della stalla di Betlemme possa essere il conforto, la consolazione e la speranza che mai delude.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction for the jubilee year starting in 2025 outlining Pope Francis' hopes for that year for the progress of all.

[Eva Lopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Très beau texte pour bien commencer cette année jubilaire!

[Jason Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

It helps to read it to understand what Pope Francis is expecting from this jubilee.

[Maggie_Gosia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and powerful introduction to the jubilee year. I was afraid it would be difficult to understand, but it is quite accessible.

[Roberta Garza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me emocionó mucho leer esto y ver el sueño del Papa Francisco para este Año Santo. Está cortito y creo que la ESPERANZA es algo que necesitamos todos en nuestros corazones. Les comparto unas de mis frases favoritas:

-"Pero, ¿qué es la felicidad? ¿Qué felicidad esperamos y deseamos? No se trata de una alegría pasajera, de una satisfacción efímera que, una vez alcanzada, sigue pidiendo siempre más, en una espiral de avidez donde el espíritu humano nunca está satisfecho, sino que más bien siempre está más vacío. Necesitamos una felicidad que se realice definitivamente en aquello que nos plenifica, es decir, en el amor, para poder exclamar, ya desde ahora: Soy amado, luego existo; y existiré por siempre en el Amor que no defrauda y del que nada ni nadie podrá separarme jamás".
- "Sí, necesitamos que “sobreabunde la esperanza” (cf. Rm 15,13) para testimoniar de manera creíble y atrayente la fe y el amor que llevamos en el corazón".
-"San Pablo recurre frecuentemente a la paciencia para subrayar la importancia de la perseverancia y de la confianza en aquello que Dios nos ha prometido, pero sobre todo testimonia que Dios es paciente con nosotros".

[Jackosullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pope Francis at his best

Despite various declarations that have confused more than blessed, Pope Francis on occasion does produce some solid, thought-provoking teaching. “Spes non Confundit” is one such. Clear, vigorous, scriptural, and convincing that the only hope for us and our civilization is Hope in the One who made us, saves us, and invites us to be with Him forever.

[Sean Zimprich · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a short read but had some good reminders of what to put my hope and faith in. It was also a reminder to me that despite my many evil sins, there is still a realistic hope for me in him. It also challenged me to keep a sober examination of myself to reckon with my own shortfalls and inadequacies to order to find realistic hope in him.

[Reed Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting point especially in 2025