CECCI members describe the Jubilee as a unique opportunity to reflect on the past, express gratitude for God’s blessings, and commit to building a hopeful future.
They emphasize the Jubilee’s focus on fostering a united society, urging calling for strengthened ties between religious and political communities.
“We hope this year of grace will inspire consensus, promote transparency in governance, and strengthen our shared commitment to the common good,” CECCI members say.
Pope Francis officially launched the 2025 Jubilee Year on the Eve of Christmas 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Announcing the start of a Year of Prayer on 21 January 2024 in preparation for the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, the second in his Pontificate after the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015, the Holy Father said that the 2025 Jubilee Year will be “a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one’s personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the world.”
In their January 26 message, Catholic Bishops in Ivory Coast express gratitude for the vibrant growth of the Church in their country with the recent appointment of a new Ivorian Cardinal by Pope Francis.
They laud the growth as a testament to the Church’s vitality and reaffirm their commitment to unity within dioceses and parishes.
In their message, the Catholic Bishops call on Priests, Religious leaders, and lay faithful to intensify their prayers and actions in faith and hope.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain; unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain,” they say, urging Christians to entrust the Church and the nation to God’s providence.
They encourage the faithful to embrace Christ as their source of hope and to take steps toward repentance, reconciliation, and communal harmony.