Year of Learning # Bangalore Archdiocese

On Saturday, 28 October 2025, the hybrid learning of the Four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council, which was initiated as part of the Year of Learning in preparations for the Ordinary Jubilee 2025, came to a conclusion. As many as 275 participants were awarded with the Diploma. 

His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore, presided over the awarding ceremony. In his felicitation he told the participants that the learning begins when the teaching ends. He encouraged the participants to take to their parishes, Basic Ecclesial Communities, and families their learnings on Divine Revelation, Liturgy and Worship, Church's Identity, and Church's Relationship with the Modern World.

Rev. Prof. Dr. Yesu Karunanidhi, the National Coordinator for the Jubilee 2025, made his concluding remarks on the learning. He placed before the participants three takeaways: synodal and hope consciousness, commitment to God and the Church, and cultivation of self and others.

The program was coordinated by Rev. Dr. Arokiaraj Sathis Kumar, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Bangalore, Rev. Dr. Cyril Victor Joseph, Director of the Paalana Bhavana, and Rev. Fr. Maria Antony of the Archdiocese of Bangalore.

"The treasures of the Second Vatican Council have to be unveiled and be made available to all," said Mr. Henry Fernandes, a participant.

The Jubilee 2025 Desk of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India congratulates and thanks His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Peter Machado for being the first to inaugurate the Jubilee 2025 preparations, and to complete the Year of Learning.

Inauguration of the Jubilee Yātra

“The Jubilee Yātra, Pilgrimage of Hope, is not just a gathering; it is a transformative experience that aims to bring priests, religious, and lay faithful together on a shared path of reflection, renewal, and rekindled hope. This significant event is organized under the auspices of the Jubilee 2025 Desk of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India in collaboration with 132 Dioceses across the country,” with these words of introduction, His Excellency Most Rev. Gerald Isaac Lobo, Bishop of Udupi, inaugurated the Jubilee Yātra, a journey of the heart, on 27 October 2023, at Udupi. 

It has been planned by the National Facilitating Team of the Ordinary Jubilee 2025, headed by Rev. Prof. Dr. Yesu Karunanidhi, that 132 Dioceses of the Church in India (Latin) will be visited before the culmination of the Jubilee Celebrations in November 2025. 

 

The Jubilee Yātra is not a journey on foot, but a pilgrimage of heart; it is not a physical journey, but a spiritual voyage that seeks to connect the believers across the Country in a shared pursuit of hope. Renewal, reflection, and consciousness are the milestones of the journey.

 

The objectives of the Jubilee Yātra are: (i) To disseminate the information concerning the Ordinary Jubilee 2025 integrating it with the Synod for a Synodal Church so that more people are brought to ‘synodal-consciousness’ as our Hope Father Pope Francis puts it; (ii) To introduce the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, especially the Four Constitutions, by bringing out the key themes and making them contextual to the life-realities of the people; and (iii) To familiarise the Catholic faithful with different forms and methods of prayer. All these objectives will lead to the goal of the ordinary Jubilee 2025 that we become ‘pilgrims of hope’ in the Church and the world.

 

As many as 120 priests and religious headed by the Local Ordinary participated in the Jubilee Yātra in the Diocese of Udupi, which hosted the event in its new Pastoral Centre, Anugraha. The participants, after a brief introduction on the synod for a synodal Church and Jubilee 2025, were introduced the treasurers of the Second Vatican Council. 

 

“For the first time I heard about the Documents of the Second Vatican Council; and they are really challenging,” said Sr. Lincy, a participant. 

 

“If we had lived out the teachings of the Second Vatican Council a while ago, our Church would have become synodal already,” a priest said during the interaction.

 

The Church in India officially inaugurates the Jubilee 2025 preparations on Sunday, 26 November 2023, Solemnity of Christ the King. Jubilee 2025 logo will be unfurled, and Jubilee Prayer will be recited. Jubilee 2025 celebrations are integrated with synod on synodality and CCBI strategic planning.

Women Force for Jubilee 2025

At the V National Conference of the CCBI Commission for Women, reflecting on the theme "Pilgrims of Hope for a Synodal Journey," Rev. Dr. Yesu Karunanidhi, the National Coordinator for the Jubilee 2025, presented on "Jubilee 2025: Meaning, Purpose, Preparation, and Participation."

The presentation was attended by 72 committed women leaders who work at the Parish, Diocesan, Regional level Commissions for Women. 

Most Rev. Dr. Kishor Kumar Kujur, Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Women, presided over the Conference. The event was organised by Sr. Lidwin Fernandes UFS, Executive Secretary to the Commission, and a Member of the National Consultative Team for Jubilee 2025.

The participants were trained on integrating Synod for a Synodal Church, and Jubilee 2025 into their ministry.

The women took a pledge that they would revisit the treasures of the Second Vatican Council, and would dedicates themselves in prayer.

The outline of the presentation is as follows:

1. Women and Women’s Ministry

a. The first woman in the Bible (cf. Gen 2:22-23): Isha. The first mother in the Bible (cf. Gen 3:20): Havvah (Eve). 

b. The woman becomes a mother through three movements: (a) Movement to the Tree (encountering the evil; quest for truth); (b) Movement to the Man (co-responsibility); and (c) Movement to God (resilience). 

c. Ministry to women at the National-Regional-Diocesan-Parish levels involves the aforesaid three movements: (a) Movement to the People (cf. Tree); (b) Movement towards other Commissions; and (c) Movement towards God. Remember these two principles (cf. Pope: Laudate Deum, n. 19): (a) Everything is interconnected; (b) No one makes it alone.

2. Jubilee 2025: Meaning – Purpose – Preparation – Participation

 

a. Jubilee in the Bible: ‘yobel’ (= ram’s horn) – 50^th year (7x7) – four R’s: rest, review, restore, reconcile (Lev 25:8-13); year of Lord’s favour (Isa 61) – past (liberation), present (consolation), future (moving forward).

 

b. Jubilees in history: First Ordinary Jubilee year in 1300 by Boniface VIII. Jubilee 2000. Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015.

 

c. Jubilee 2025. Motto and Logo: Pilgrims of Hope. Four figures. Solidarity. Cross. Anchor. Collective.

 

d. Characteristics of the Jubilee: (i) Pilgrimage (journey, crossing of boundaries, going across the fields, with other journeying companions); (ii) Holy Door (powerful sign, four Roman Basilicas, Jesus is the Door, journey to the interior of a church); (iii) Reconciliation (placing God at the centre of our lives, restoration of social justice, confession); (iv) Prayer (being open to God’s presence and his offer of love); (v) Liturgy (public prayer of the Church, summit and font, opening of the door); (vi) Profession of faith (identity of the baptized person, Apostolic Creed, Nicene Creed); and (vii) Indulgences (experience of God’s mercy, offering up sufferings).

 

e. Purpose of the Jubilee: (i) To celebrate Jesus. (ii) To celebrate the Church. (iii) To celebrate us.

 

f. Two Years of Preparation: (i) 2023 as Year of the Council (Year of Learning); (ii) 2024 as Year of Prayer. The Holy Father wishes that the four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council be studied to obtain direction and guidance for God’s people: Bible (Dei Verbum), Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium), Church (Lumen Gentium), World (Gaudium et Spes). One Year of Celebration: 2025. Enter the Holy Doors of the four Major Basilicas; We may also enter the doors for hope, lighting a ray of hope in prisons, homes for the elderly and the dying destitute, hospitals, and refugee camps.

 

3. Integrating Women’s Ministry with Synod & Jubilee 2025

a.  Ministry to (recipients) / for (beneficiaries) / through (instruments) / with (collaborators) women.

b.     Identifying the challenges (internal) and the obstacles (external).

c.  Ideas: (i) Create Synod-Jubilee 2025 consciousness (logo, symbols, flags, colours); (ii) Choose synod (communion-mission-participation), jubilee 2025 (Bible, Liturgy, Church, World) as your themes for reflection; (iii) Prayer rally or prayer service; (iv) Visits to the prisons, hospitals, refugee camps, old age homes, orphanages, and other where people need hope; (v) Visits to the shrines and the basilicas; and (vi) Reflect on the Diocesan Synthesis and identify areas of enhancement.

d.    Paths: (i) Women, not as followers, but as partners; (ii) Give them what they need, not what you have; (iii) Believe in magic, not logic; (iv) Anything that you invest your time grows; (v) Make it personal – one to one; and (vi) Create support groups.

 

Jubilee 2025 Partners

ATC Publishers 

[Publishing 35 Council Notebooks and 9 Booklets on Prayer]

Communio 

[Sponsor: Resources Materials and Training Programs]

Pontifical Mission Organisations (India) 

[Sponsor: Promo Materials, and Travels]

CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine 

[# Year of the Council. 2023]

CCBI Commission for Proclamation

[# Year of Prayer. 2024]

CCBI Commissions. For Youth, Women, Lay People, Basic Ecclesial Communities, Family, Vocations-Seminaries-Clergy-Religious, CDPI, ARMS

[# Dissemination of promo materials. Competitions and programs coordination]

CCBI Commissions. For Catechetics, Ecology, Ecumenism, Migrants. Bioethics forum. CCBI PR office. Apostolates: Education, Health, Social.

[# Pastoral, social, ecumenical, interfaith programs and events]

CCBI Commissions. For Boundary, Canon Law and Legislative Texts, Liturgy

[# Ecclesial, liturgical celebrations]

CCBI Media Apostolate

[# Media partner]

Missionaries of Mercy

Conference of Religious India

Lay Ecclesial Movements

Jubilee 2025 Prayer

 

CCBI President Circular - 1

 

Meeting of Regional Deputy Secretary Generals - 1

To gather the Regional Deputy Secretary Generals on board, to prepare for and to celebrate the Ordinary Jubilee 2025, an online meeting was conducted on Saturday, 23 September 2023, at 10:00 am at Google Meet.

The Regional Deputy Secretary Generals will coordinate the National Facilitating Team in the following:

(1) Disseminating the CCBI Circular to the Local Ordinaries.

(2) The Circular of the Regional Bishops' Council Chairman on Jubilee 2025.

(3) Preparation of the resources materials in regional languages.

(4) Preparation of the promo materials in regional languages, and dissemination.

(5) Contacting the Diocesan Contact Persons.

(6) Jubilee Yātra to the Dioceses.

Council Notebooks English Released

The Church in India joins hearts and hands with the Universal Church in the preparations for the Ordinary Jubilee 2025 on the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’ The 35 Council Notebooks assist us in the Year of Learning.

“Our Holy Mother Church is now heading towards the First Session of the Final Phase (Universal Phase) of the Synod for a Synodal Church 2021-2024. We now have another celebration around the corner, Jubilee 2025, an ordinary Jubilee marking 2025 years of Jesus’ birth. Let us integrate the Jubilee 2025 celebrations with our synodal journey,” said His Eminence Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa-Daman, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), as he released the 35 Council Notebooks in view of the preparations for the Jubilee 2025 and unveiled the CCBI Roadmap for the Jubilee 2025 preparations and celebrations.

‘Pilgrims of Hope’ is the motto of the celebrations of the ordinary Jubilee 2025. In the letter to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-prefect Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World, announcing the preparation for the Jubilee celebrations, our Holy Father Pope Francis underscores the importance of hope in Christian life amidst uncertainties and hardships created by the pandemic and wars. He writes: “we must fan the flame of hope … the forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust … that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’”

“The purpose of the Jubilee 2025 is threefold: to celebrate Jesus, to celebrate the Church and to celebrate our faith,” the President of the CCBI reinstated. There are two years of preparation for the Jubilee 2025: (i) 2023 as Year of the Council (Year of Learning); (ii) 2024 as Year of Prayer. The Holy Father wishes that the four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council be studied to obtain direction and guidance for God’s people.

The Dicastery for Evangelization has brought out 35 booklets giving background information to the Second Vatican Council and to the Four Constitutions on the Word of God, the liturgy, the Church as the people of God, and the Church in the modern world. The Notebooks are translated into English for the world market and distributed by ATC Publishers India and published by the CCBI. The translation of the booklets was a moment of revisiting the history of the Church,.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India partakes in the preparations and the celebrations of the Jubilee 2025 integrating them in the synodal journey and the strategic planning which aims at discerning the plan of God for the Church in India.

The Local Churches in India will inaugurate the Preparations of the Jubilee on 26 November 2023, Solemnity of Christ the King, unveiling the Jubilee Logo and initiating people into revisiting the treasures of the Second Vatican Council and revamping prayer. The National Facilitating Team envisions to visit all the 132 Latin dioceses of India enkindling in every faithful the ray of hope.

“At the Jubilee 2025, our Holy Mother Church invites us to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’ As we prepare ourselves to enter the Holy Doors in Rome, let us also enter the doors of the places such as hospitals, orphanages, homes for the destitute, prisons, refugee camps, et al, where hope is dim,” Cardinal Ferrão highlighted.

[Photo and text courtesy: ccbi.in]

National Facilitating Team

1. Most Rev. George Pallipparambil SDB, Chairman, Comm. for Catechetics. 

2. Mr. Nigel Fernandes, CEO, ATC Publishers.

3. Ms. Anastasia Pinto, Media, Communio.

4. Fr. Vignan Das Gangula, Assoc. Director, Communio.

5. Sr. Lidwin Fernandes UFS, Secretary, CCBI Comm. for Women.

6. Fr. Ambrose Pitchaimuthu, Secretary, Comm. for Proclamation, and National Director, Pontifical Mission Organisations

7. Fr. Raju Mathew, Assoc. Sec., Comm. for Proclamation.

8. Fr. Gilbert De Lima, Secretary, Comm. for Theology and Doctrine. 

9. Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi, Coordinator.

Journey so far

(i) On 30 January 2023, at the CCBI XXXIV Plenary Assembly, Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi was appointed as the Coordinator of the National Facilitating Team for the Jubilee 2025; 

(ii) On 14 April 2023, Most Rev. Rino Fisichella, Pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World, in an online meeting addressed all the Delegates of the Conferences on the preparations for the Jubilee 2025; 

(iii) Based on the instructions from Rome, preliminary discussion on held at the 91^st Executive Committee Meeting on 9 May 2023 on the modus operandi. It was suggested at the EC Meet that we align the Jubilee 2025 preparations and celebrations with the Synod for a Synodal Church and the CCBI Strategic Planning. 

(iv) At the EC Meet the National Facilitating Team was approved. Its members are Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi, Coordinator; Mr. Nigel Fernandes, CEO, ATC Publishers; Ms. Anastasia Pinto, Media, Communio; Fr. Vignan Das Gangula, Assoc. Director, Communio; Sr. Lidwin Fernandes UFS, Secretary, CCBI Comm. for Women; Fr. Ambrose Pitchaimuthu, Secretary, Comm. for Proclamation; Fr. Raju Mathew, Assoc. Sec., Comm. for Proclamation; Most Rev. George Pallipparambil SDB, Chairman, Comm. for Catechetics; and Fr. Gilbert De Lima, Secretary, Comm. for Theology and Doctrine. 

(v) On 29 June 2023, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the Archdiocese of Bangalore inaugurated the preparations for the Jubilee 2025. 

(vi) On 15 September 2023 a WhatsApp group for the National Facilitating Team was created, and on 16 September 2023 an online meeting was held to discuss the roadmap for the Local Churches. 

(vii) On 11 September 2023 the Jubilee Office in Rome has sent us a communication regarding the Synod Logo, Hymn, Prayer, and Calendar.

Celebration Phase

 

. From 24 November 2024 to 23 November 2025 [Phase Three]

. Opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica by the Holy Father on 24 November 2024.

. Undertaking pilgrimages to Rome.

. Encouraging pilgrimages to the Local and the National Shrines, and visits to the prisons, hospitals, old age homes, orphanages, for the elderly.

. Initiating different levels of celebrations – pastoral, ecclesial, liturgical, academic, ecumenical & interfaith, and socio-cultural.

Preparation Phase

. From 26 November 2023 to 23 November 2024 [Phase Two]

. Inaugurating Jubilee 2025 preparations in the Local Churches on 26 November 2023.

. Jubilee 2025 flag and logo on display in the parishes. Jubilee 2025 prayer recitation
begins.

. Undertaking Jubilee Yātra of Hope to 132 Dioceses in India, through the coordination of 
the 14 Regions and with the permission of the Local Ordinaries.

. Following the inauguration of the preparations on 26 November 2023, the Local Churches
could promote clergy retreats, reunions, seminars, workshops, recollections, CRI and other
meetings based on the Conciliar documents; Parishes: novena themes based on the
themes of the Second Vatican Council. Flags and logos in display; Encouraging the people
to undertake pilgrimages to Rome.

. Observing the day of prayer (prayer as listening, adoration, intercession, and
thanksgiving).

Dissemination Phase

• From 23 September 2023 to 25 November 2023 [Phase One]

• Sending Circular of the CCBI President and the Roadmap to the Local Churches.

• Writing articles and essays on magazines and journals on the Ordinary Jubilee 2025.

• Creating Jubilee 2025-consciousness through advertisements, announcements, and social media posters and videos.

• Conducting literary competitions (quiz, essay writing, poem writing, composition of hymns, making of videos) all over India.

• Establishing and strengthening network across regions (regional deputy secretary generals), dioceses (diocesan contact persons), religious institutes (CRI), and lay movements through online and in-presence meetings to bring everyone on board.

• Preparing resources materials: (a) 35 booklets on the Second Vatican Council by the ATC publishers in English; The translation of the booklets into Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarathi, Marathi, Konkani, Odiya, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. (b) 9 booklets on Prayer by the ATC publishers in English and the subsequent translation. (c) Handbook (back-to-back model, or booklet model) on the Second Vatican Council and the Conciliar Documents (supported by Communio); Handbook (back-to-back model, or booklet model) on prayer. (d) Jubilee 2025 brochures, prayer cards, bookmarks, souvenirs in English and major regional languages (supported by Pontifical Mission Organizations). (e) Posters for presentation (cloth printing). (f) Jubilee 2025 flags.

CCBI Roadmap