The Birth of Our Saviour: An angel announced to the Shepherds: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the1 Lord” (Lk 2:10-11). This great joy is expressed during the Vigil Mass of Christmas in the Preface. It is a wonderful composition. We sing: “For in the mystery of the Word made flesh a new light of your glory has shone upon the eyes of our mind, so that, as we recognize in him God made visible, we may be caught up through him in love of things invisible”. Our encounter with God as our Saviour in human form justifies our joyful celebration.  

Sauharda and Bandhutva Christmas: I invite Priests to organize Ecumenical (Sauharda) Christmas and Bandhutva celebrations. We are called to build bridges between people. This would facilitate the formation of Basic Human Communities as well. May all people experience the tenderness of God through our relationship with them. Our celebrations will certainly alleviate the sufferings of many who are burdened with sadness and anxiety in the broken world.

Ordinary Jubilee of the Birth of Jesus 2025: The Jubilee of the birth of Jesus Christ with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” is a significant event in the life of the Church. It will be inaugurated with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on 24 December 2024. Jubilee resounds with the themes of joy of homecoming, reconciliation and renewal. The joy of encounter with the Lord generates hope in us, the Pilgrim Church.

Inauguration in the Diocese: The Introductory Rite of the Jubilee Year starts at 7:30 a.m. on 29 December 2024, the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The initial rite will take place at St. Ann’s Convent Chapel, Rosario. The procession will then proceed behind the adorned Cross, the anchor of salvation, towards Holy Rosary Cathedral, during which hymns will be sung. The inaugural Mass will be celebrated at 08:00 a.m. I request the Parish Priests to announce in the Parishes and encourage the faithful to participate in this inaugural rite.

Forms of Jubilee during the Year: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India has proposed Jubilees of different groups of people and given a calendar. We have adapted a major part of the Calendar according to our context, and it is given in this volume. I request Parish Priests to use the services of the various Pastoral Commissions in the Parish to plan and celebrate these Jubilees. May the people feel they are loved and appreciated thanks to our common celebrations.

The Places for the Pilgrimages in the Jubilee Year: The Apostolic Penitentiary has suggested that the Bishops assign the shrines and sacred places for the pilgrimages during the Jubilee Year. Accordingly, I assign the following: Holy Rosary Cathedral, St Lawrence Shrine, Bondel, Our Lady of Pompei Shrine, Urwa, St John Paul II Shrine, Bajpe, St Antony Ashram, Jeppu, St Joseph Vaz Shrine, Mudipu, Infant Jesus Church, Bantwal and Our Lady of Dolours Church, Bela. A booklet is prepared to assist the pilgrims with hymns and Psalms, and it will be available at Bishop’s House and Mangala Jyothi. The booklet also contains the suggestions given by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) for the Jubilee Celebrations.

Plenary Indulgence in the Year of the Jubilee: The Apostolic Penitentiary, through its decree, explained the mode of obtaining the plenary Indulgences to be applied to the souls in purgatory or to the dear departed. Indulgence “is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms ‘mercy’ and ‘indulgence’ were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds” (Francis, Spes non confundit, 23). Through the Indulgence, “God the Father reaches to the pardoned sinner, through the Bride of Christ, the Church, and frees him/her from every residue left by the consequences of sin” (Misericordiae vultus, 22). Indulgence, therefore, is not forgiveness of sins but the remission of the temporal punishment the pardoned sinner has to undergo before God to expiate sin and its consequences. While all Indulgences previously granted remain in force, this year, special provisions are made to obtain Indulgences.

Conditions to be Fulfilled for Obtaining Indulgence and Application: The following conditions are to be observed to receive the gift of Indulgence: 1) to be truly repentant and free from any affection for sin; 2) purified through the sacrament of penance; 3) refreshed by Holy Communion received during the Eucharistic celebration; 4) praying for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. There is a special offer this year: Plenary Indulgence can be received twice on the same day, if one participates in the Eucharist a second time and receives the Holy Communion.

Indulgences are applied to the souls in purgatory so that the temporal punishment due to sin is forgiven and they may obtain full mercy. The fruit of the grace of Indulgences can be applied 1) during the pilgrimages to the assigned places; 2) during visits to the sacred places, while engaging in Eucharistic adoration and meditation concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith, and invocation to Mary, Mother of God; 3) through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy connected with the visits to the sick, prisoners, lonely, elderly, disabled people.

The faithful who are truly repentant but cannot participate in the various activities like pilgrimages and visits to sacred places for serious reasons can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence under the same conditions, if united in spirit with the faithful taking part in person (especially when the message of the Supreme Pontiff or the diocesan Bishop are transmitted through the various means of communication), they recite the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in the approved form, and other prayers in conformity with the directives of the Holy Year in their homes or wherever they are confined, offering up their sufferings to God.

Jubilee indulgence can also be obtained through penance, which includes observing the penitential nature of Friday, abstaining from the use of futile distractions such as media, and social networks, abstaining from superfluous consumption, and donating money to the poor, supporting the religious and charitable activities, protection and defense of life, elderly, migrants, and abandoned children, or spending a reasonable amount of free time in voluntary activities.

Rectors of the shrines, Priests at the sacred places and Parish Priests are requested to display the timings of when confessors are available to the people to receive the sacramental absolution of sins. The retired priests are specially requested to lend their helping hand in this ministry so that a greater possible opportunity is provided to the faithful to benefit from the means of salvation.

Word of Gratitude: Msgr Leslie Shenoy has donated one crore rupees to the Diocese to be kept as a permanent endowment for the formation of Seminarians. The yearly interest will be used for their expenses. We are grateful to him for his thoughtfulness and concern. I assure Msgr Shenoy of our prayers, and our seminarians also pray for his well-being.

Wish you a happy Christmas. May the Babe of Bethlehem bless you all.