An introduction to the Jubilee Year
Join us online with some special guests on Saturday 18 January to find out more about the Year of Jubilee.
Join us as we take a look back at some of the events that have shaped the last quarter of a century – and the ways in which we’ve come together in hope to work for a better world.
Do you remember how you felt at the beginning of the last Jubilee, 25 years ago? What did you wish for as you stood on the cusp of a new millennium?
Young CAFOD supporters at a Drop the Debt march in 2000
We wish for a fairer world
2000 – Over 300,000 of you sign the Jubilee 2000 petition calling for debt justice.
Fact: More than $87billion of international debt was cancelled as a result.
2005 - The Make Poverty History campaign sees 225,000 people travel to Edinburgh for the G8 summit.
Fact: The number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen by half a billion since 2005, according to World Bank estimates.
2016 - CAFOD supporters raise £60 million to support 23 million people affected by the East Africa Food Crisis.
Nelson Mandela speaking in Trafalgar Square in 2005
“Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural; it is man-made, and it can be overcome by the actions of human beings. Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice.”
We wish for peace on earth
2011 – Syrian civil war begins. More than 14 million Syrians are forced to flee their homes. Thousands of you donated, volunteered and campaigned to help families affected.
Fact: Catholics in the UK walked the equivalent of four times around the world to show solidarity with refugees and call on leaders for support as part of the Share the Journey campaign.
2022 – Russia invades Ukraine. CAFOD is part of a DEC appeal that helps over 8.2 million people affected by the conflict.
2023 - Hamas attacks Israel. Israel responds with force. Prolonged war ensues. CAFOD supporters raise thousands to help people affected by the conflict.
“You know, in the beginning when the war started, I remember it felt like there was this river of grace, of prayers that were being offered for the people of Ukraine and it felt like we were buoyed up by prayers.”
We wish for goodwill to all
2013 – Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is elected Pope Francis.
Fact: Pope Francis is the first non-European Pope in 1,300 years.
2016 – Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. ‘Doors of Mercy’ are opened across the world for people seeking reconciliation.
2018 - Oscar Romero, who was assassinated for his work defending the rights of poor people and advocating for peace in San Salvador during the civil war, becomes a saint.
2024 - Artist Mulugeta Araya is commissioned to paint an Icon for the Catholic Church in England and Wales to mark the Jubilee.
“Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all.”
Aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
We wish to care for our common home
2004 – A tsunami devastates communities around the Indian Ocean. People in the UK raise an unprecedented £350 million to help.
2007 – The LiveSimply award launches, celebrating the efforts of parishes and schools caring for our common home.
2015 - Pope Francis publishes Laudato Si’ on 'care for our common home', criticising consumerism, environmental degradation and global warming.
Fact: That same year, world leaders signed the first ever universal, legally binding global climate deal at COP21 in Paris.
2019 – The UK becomes the first major economy in the world to commit to a net zero emissions target.
2024 – 30% of the world’s energy is generated by renewable sources for the first time.
“The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home.”
CAFOD supporters showing off their Big Lent Walk shoelaces!
We wish to bring the world together
2012 – People from around the world travel to the UK to take part in and enjoy the Olympic Games in London.
2017 – A huge, international campaign results in the community of Mauá in Brazil getting the legal rights to stay in their home.
2020 – The world goes into lockdown as the global Covid-19 pandemic takes hold. CAFOD supporters donate over £4 million to help people in over 30 countries survive, rebuild and heal.
2021 – CAFOD’s first Lent walking event brings people together to raise more than £830,000, starting an annual tradition.
2025 – As Jubilee 2025 begins, Pope Francis invites us to become pilgrims of hope and discover a vision that can “restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone”.
Ready to look to the future?
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Join us this Lent and walk 200km in 40 days to help fight global poverty!
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