“Mercy opens doors to hope” | DIOCESE OF KISANGANI (RdC)
In this column, throughout the year, the journey of the Jubilee as told by spazio + spadoni from different parts of the world
Rodrigue Bidubula tells us about the opening of the Jubilee Year in Kisangani, ancient Stanleyville, one of the largest cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo
On Sunday, December 29, 2024, the Archdiocese of Kisangani celebrated the opening of the Jubilee Year 2025 with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope: a hope that does not disappoint” (Rom. 5:5).
The celebration began at St. John Paul II Parish and continued with a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, where a solemn Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kisangani.
In his opening address, the archbishop announced that the ceremony would have three highlights: the gathering, the pilgrimage, and the opening of the holy door.
Gathering and pilgrimage of the faithful![]()
The choice of St. John Paul II Parish for the initial gathering has special significance for the faithful of Kisangani. This
parish honors the memory of Pope John Paul II, the only Pope to have visited Kisangani, in 1980. He is also the Pope of the Great Jubilee of 2000.
After a time of prayer, the faithful, guided by a cross, embarked on a two-kilometer pilgrimage to the cathedral. This walk, accompanied by litanies and meditations, symbolizes Christian life as a constant journey toward God, characterized by effort, perseverance and solidarity.
Opening Ceremony of the Holy Door
Upon arrival at the cathedral, Bishop Utembi presided over the opening ceremony of the Holy Door, a highly symbolic gesture.
To go through this door is to enter into communion with God. After the opening, the archbishop blessed the water which he then sprinkled on the faithful, recalling baptismal commitments and birth into the family of believers.
In his homily, he emphasized the liturgical feast of the day, that of the Holy Family of Nazareth (Jesus, Mary and Joseph), in relation to the mystery of the Incarnation.
He encouraged Christian families to follow the example of the Holy Family and welcome God’s presence in their daily lives. At the same time, the Archbishop wished the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Kisangani a happy patronal feast and encouraged them to live their charism following the model of the Holy Family of Nazareth, being open and faithful in their mission in the Church.
He wished the same feast to the Christians of Sainte Famille Parish in Kabondo.
The significance of the Jubilee in the Church
The archbishop explained that Jubilee, which originated in Jewish tradition, is a year of grace, forgiveness of debts and deliverance. Jubilee was celebrated by the Jewish people according to the Law of Moses, which in the book of Leviticus (Lev 25:8-17) establishes a jubilee every 50 years.
In the Catholic tradition, the Holy Year is a unique opportunity to deepen our faith, practice reconciliation and perform acts of mercy.
Introduced in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII, the Jubilee Year is now celebrated every 25 years. Monsignor Utembi stressed the spiritual dimension of the Jubilee, which invites people to be reconciled with God, to convert and to re-establish fraternal relationships.
He also stressed the importance of regularly receiving the sacrament of penance and living in solidarity and justice. Spiritual and pastoral programs will be organized throughout the year, including catechesis on the meaning of indulgences, which allow people to benefit from divine mercy under certain conditions.
The Jubilee is also a year of conversion and sacramental penance. He urged the faithful to regularly receive the sacrament of penance to fully benefit from its grace.
In parishes, Archbishop Marcel asked priests to organize catechesis sessions to explain to God’s people the meaning of indulgences and the conditions necessary to obtain them. The Church provides for two types of indulgences: plenary indulgences and partial indulgences.
To obtain an indulgence, it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is linked by fulfilling the following three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Pope’s intentions.
A new feature of this Jubilee is that Pope Francis also recommends that another condition for obtaining indulgences is to perform one or more works of mercy.
A year to rekindle hope![]()
In a letter read by Abbé Richard, Pope Francis urged the faithful to be bearers of hope, even in a world marked by turbulence.
He invited them to transform the signs of the times into signs of hope, based on the certainty that nothing and no one can separate them from the love of Christ.
This hope must be contagious, the archbishop said, inviting the faithful to fill their present with faith, prayer, mercy and concrete works.
Commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea
Another highlight of the year is the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the Church’s first ecumenical council, which pronounced on the divinity of Christ and gave birth to the Creed that Christians still profess today.
Bishop Utembi urged the faithful to continue on the road to Christian unity, echoing Jesus’ prayer, “Father, may they be one as you and I are one” (Jn. 17:21).
Three churches will welcome pilgrims
The archbishop announced that three churches in the archdiocese will be allowed to welcome pilgrims throughout the year:
1. Notre-Dame du Rosaire Cathedral, the diocese’s landmark church.
2. St. Gabriel Parish, the diocese’s first mission.
3. The parish of St. John Paul II, in memory of Pope John Paul II who visited Kisangani.
These sacred places will remain open to allow the faithful to fully experience the graces of the Jubilee.
A call for solidarity and mercy
The archbishop insisted on the need for concrete acts of solidarity, such as forgiveness, forgiveness of debts and help for the underprivileged. He recalled that the Jubilee is an invitation to live in joy and peace with others, to renew trust in the Church, society and interpersonal relationships.
Jubilee Year: a year centered on Christ
The heart of the Jubilee Year is the encounter with Christ. The archbishop encouraged the faithful to deepen their relationship with God through prayer, the Eucharist and meditation on God’s Word.
Archbishop Utembi concluded by inviting the faithful to live this year as a time of hope and Christian witness, proclaiming the “new heavens and new earth” where justice and harmony will reign.
The opening of Jubilee Year 2025 in Kisangani marks the beginning of a rich spiritual journey, animated by faith, solidarity and hope.
The Diocesan Pastoral Center, together with the Auxiliary Bishop, will draw up a program to be proposed to parishes and all pilgrims in the diocese according to the schedule below:
Schedule of Jubilee Activities in the Archdiocese of Kisangani
– December 24, 2024: opening of the Jubilee in Rome by Pope Francis
– Dec. 29, 2024: Jubilee opening in the archdiocese by Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa
– Feb. 08 to 09: Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Officers
– Feb. 15 to 18: Jubilee of Artists
– March 8 to 9: Jubilee of volunteers
– March 28: 24 hours with the Lord
– April 5-6: Jubilee of the sick and health care workers
– April 25 to 27: Jubilee of teenagers
– April 28-29: Jubilee of people with disabilities
– May 1 to 4: Jubilee of workers
– May 10 to 11: Jubilee of musical bands
– May 30: Jubilee of families, parents, grandparents, children and the elderly
– June 7-8: Jubilee of social movements, associations and new communities
– June 14-15: Jubilee of sports professionals
– June 20-22: Jubilee of public entities
– June 25-27: Jubilee of priests
– July 28: Jubilee of young people
– August 21-28: Jubilee of altar boys and acolytes
– Sept. 20: Jubilee of lawyers, magistrates and all those who work for justice
– Oct. 4 to 5: Jubilee of missionaries
– Oct. 11 to 12: Jubilee of consecrated persons
– Oct. 31: Jubilee of teachers and all educational workers
– Nov. 16: Jubilee of the poor
– Dec. 26, 2025: conclusion of the jubilee year in the archdiocese
– Jan. 06, 2026: closing of the Jubilee Year in Rome
The Mass was attended by a large crowd of faithful from all parishes in the city. It was moderated and coordinated by Abbé Maximilien, pastor of the cathedral.
Source and images
- spazio + spadoni
- Rodrigue Bidubula