Bishop Krzysztof Józef Nykiel, Regent of the Apostolic Peniten-tiary, referring to the Bull announcing the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025, observes that a pilgrimage is the core event of any jubilee event.
“In its essence, a pilgrimage is a Chri-stian’s personal jour-ney in the footsteps of the Redeemer. It en-capsulates the meaning of human life; as St. John Paul II pointed out, The whole of the Christian life is like a great pilgrimage to the house of the Father (Tertio millennio adve-niente, 49). To embark on a pilgrimage, to set out on a journey, does not simply entail a change of a physical location but a trans-formation of oneself. (…) In this sense, the pilgrimage of the Jubilee Year begins before the journey itself, before taking the first step. In other words, it starts with the decision to go, a decision taken for Christ. (…) Without it, it will be difficult to live the experience of conversion, of changing one’s life in order to channel it towards God’s holiness.”

(Vatican News)

• Bishop Krzysztof Józef Nykiel
  Regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary