The Real authentic face of the Jubilee - + Crescenzio Sepe

Last week, in presenting the RAI programme on the Holy Spirit, I ended my intervention by saying that the Calendar for the Holy Year celebrations is "the only mirror in which is reflected the real authentic face of the Jubilee, for which we are all called to work and commit ourselves".

In fact, the Calendar that is presented officially today is the essential instrument for entering into the spirit of the Jubilee, and for preparing ourselves adequately to live it with faith.

Starting from today we have a fundamental working project that comes directly, though through operative processes, from that wonderful map of spirituality for the whole Jubilee of the Year 2000 represented by John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Tertio Millennio Adveniente. In continuation of what Card. Etchegaray has already said I would like to point out some of the document's characteristics.

A) First of all, a brief glance at the Calendar's history

In July '97 a first project, drawn up by experts, was sent to the Congregations of the Roman Curia and to the other appropriate Offices, which sent back useful observations and suggestions. The resulting new text was presented and discussed in the meeting held in the Vatican last February, with all the national delegates of the Episcopal Conferences throughout the world.

With the proposals that emerged, a further project was drafted which was examined by the experts and then approved by the Presidential Council for the Great Jubilee.

B) Criteria that inspired the Calendar

Many of these criteria are expressed fully in the "Foreword", which gives some brief pastoral indications useful for everyone. In particular I would like to stress that:

1) This Calendar cannot be considered complete, both because it is easy to foresee that until the year 2000 further requests will arrive and because we felt it was inappropriate to include some celebrations of a special kind. The same could be said for Congresses, exhibitions, performances and concerts of religious music. With regard to the days dedicated to the pan-Christian and the interreligious meetings, contacts are being made.

2) Another guiding criterion was that the most important celebrations, and therefore those that would involve a greater influx of pilgrims, should be distributed throughout the Jubilee Year, so that they would not all be concentrated in a few months of the year, which would certainly have caused many problems.

3) In the true spirit of the Jubilee, the penitential values of conversion, renewal of faith and pilgrimage have been stressed. Special ceremonies are envisaged for the transition to the year 2000 and to the new millennium.

Particular importance has also been given to the catechumenate, to the missionary and social dimension and to ecumenism. I would like to call your attention to the fact that, during the year, the Holy Father will administer all seven sacraments, and there will be celebrations in the different liturgical rites, both Eastern and Western, of which our Church is so rich: a sign of her beauty and her universality.

4) We also took into due consideration the fact that the Calendar should involve all members of the People of God, so that the jubilee celebrations may represent the entire life of the Church: children - young people – senior citizens; Bishops – clergy – deacons; religious - the laity; workers – craftsmen – those involved in the agricultural world; students – university teachers – scientists; artists – journalists – people associated with the entertainment world; families – women; the sick – prisoners; migrants – refugees - exiles; those involved in public life – the military – the police; the Roman Curia – the Dioceses of Rome – any national or continental pilgrimages.

In the spirit of TMA there will be special solemn ceremonies dedicated to the "New Martyrs", to "Thanksgiving for the gift of creation", which is one of the important themes also of the biblical Jubilee, and to the "request for pardon" (cf. TMA, n. 33).

5) Some pious practices, such as the Eucharistic Adoration, the "Way of the Cross" and the recitation the Rosary, will characterise the entire jubilee year and will be held in the basilicas and churches of Rome. In this regard, the pilgrim's guidebook, the book of prayers and a booklet that will contain the pilgrim's "typical day" and "typical week" are almost ready. For example, it is envisaged that all those who come to Rome can gather every evening in St. Peter's Square for a time of common prayer and to receive the Holy Father's blessing.

6) The Calendar shows the celebrations that will be held in Rome (with the exception of the one that will take place in Nazareth on 25^th March, the Feast of the Annunciation). But it may be considered as a point of reference for the calendars that, with suitable adaptations, should be prepared in the respective nations, as was explicitly requested of the National Directors.

In order to organise all the celebrations foreseen and especially the jubilee days, working groups have been set up - four or five people at the most -, whose task is to plan the preparation and celebration of the event beforehand.

The organization for receiving the pilgrims has been entrusted to the Peregrinatio ad Petri Sedem and to the Opera Romana Pelegrinaggi, who will work together with the Civil Authorities.

A vast internet and intranet network, which will be set up by Telecom all over the world, will considerably facilitate the organization of the pilgrims who come to Rome.

One final point: this Calendar is not an end in itself as, on the other hand, neither is the Jubilee. Read in depth, it reflects the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and especially the magisterium of John Paul II, and it projects the Church into the future, into the new Millennium. In fact, if the Holy Year is lived and celebrated in an adequate fashion, it will mark an important stage of the new evangelization destined to renew the Church and humanity, travelling to accomplish that "civilization of love" that is the aspiration not only of believers, but of every person of good will.