Archbishop Fisichella visits Brazil to meet the Episcopal Conference: “The Jubilee will be a moment of grace for the whole Church”

The two-day national meeting organized by the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, began this morning at the Casa Dom Luciano in Brasilia.

The initiative is to provide information to dioceses about initiatives planned for the Jubilee and to promote the participation of local Churches.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization of the Holy See, who is the organizer and coordinator of the 2025 Jubilee, was present as the guest of honor. There were around 300 participants at the gathering, including cardinals, bishops, representatives of dioceses, archdioceses, organizations, and movements.

“I sincerely thank the Presidency of the Episcopal Conference for having organized this meeting in preparation for the Jubilee. I am grateful to find such great support in the demanding task of preparation for the Holy Year, which will be a moment of grace for the whole Church", said Archbishop Fisichella.

The opening session of the event, on 29 January, was attended by the Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro and the Archbishop of Brasilia, Cardinal Paulo Cezar Costa, who, in greeting those present, as pastor of the local church, highlighted Pope Francis' request that the Church should prepare for this jubilee, first and foremost, with prayer: “We are living in a society that is losing hope. Hope is a fundamental theme for society. Human beings cannot live without hope. The Christian faith for us is born from hope in Christ who died and rose again. It is in Him that our hope is founded."

The interventions planned for the day focused on topics such as the "Overview of the Evangelization Work of the CNBB"; "Challenges for the Evangelizing Action of the Church in Brazil"; "The Jubilee in Sacred Scripture" and "The Jubilee of Hope in 2025: the vision of Pope Francis".

On the second day of reflections, the following themes will be addressed: "The celebration of the Jubilee"; "Proposals for the Marking of the Jubilee of Hope" and a round table will be set up on "The Prospects for the Jubilee in Brazil".

The meeting will end with a Eucharistic con celebration with Mass presided over by Archbishop Fisichella, in the Basilica of the Sanctuary of Saint Francis of Assisi, in Brasilia.