Pope Francis chose the Eve of Divine Mercy Sunday to present the official Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy which will begin on December 8, 2015, and lead the faithful into a year dedicated to “living out in our daily lives the mercy which God constantly extends to all of us.”

Vatican Radio announced the presentation of the 28-page bull which was read by Fr. Leonardo Sapienza, Regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household on Saturday in a ceremony by the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Entitled, “Misericordiae Vultus” or “Face of Mercy” it opens with the declaration that “Jesus is the faceof the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith.”

The year will begin on December 8 to commemorate both the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. The Holy Door of St. Peter’s will be opened that day, and the Holy Doors of other papal basilicas will be opened on subsequent days. As a sign of communion with the whole church, the pope has requested that every diocese in the world open a similar “Door of Mercy” to be used during local celebrations of the Jubilee.

The Bull contains three main themes.

The first theme elaborates on a theological understanding of God’s mercy, explaining the role of mercy in the life of people and of the Church.

“The mercy of God is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality through which he reveals his love as that of a father or a mother, moved to the very depths out of love for their child,” the Pope writes. “Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life. The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love.”

He then recalls the motto of the Holy Year, which is “Merciful like the Father.”

“Wherever the Church is present, the mercy of the Father must be evident,” he writes. “Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy.”

The second theme offers practical ways to live well out this extraordinary Holy Year. “Go on pilgrimage as an “impetus to conversion”; do not judge or condemn but forgive and give, avoiding gossip, envy and jealousy; have a heart open to the fringes of society and bring consolation, mercy and solidarity to people who live in precarious situations; take up the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy with joy; and observe the ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative, which encourages prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation, in every diocese during Lent.

The Pope then addresses confessors and encourages them to be “authentic signs of the Father’s mercy.”

During Lent of Holy Year, the Pope plans to send out “Missionaries of Mercy” who are priests to whom he will grant “the authority to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See.” They will be “living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon,” he writes.

The third theme is a call for justice and conversion in which he asks members of criminal organizations and those involved in corruption to change their lives and to embrace God’s mercy.

Because both Judaism and Islam consider mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes, the pope expresses trust “that this Jubilee… will foster an encounter” with these and other religions. He is hoping that these encounters will “open us to even more fervent dialogue” toward greater knowledge and understanding, “eliminate every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect and drive out every form of violence and discrimination.”

“God does not deny justice,” he continues. “He rather envelopes it and surpasses it with an even greater event (mercy) in which we experience love as the foundation of true justice.”

After excerpts from the document were read on Saturday evening, the Pope gave a copy of the bull to the cardinal archpriests of each of the four papal basilicas in Rome, as well as to cardinals from the different continents, representing the Church throughout the world.

As with all Jubilees, a plenary indulgence is granted during the Holy Year of Mercy for those who fulfill all of the usual requirements.

The Holy Year will conclude on November 20, 2016, on the feast of Christ the King.

Click here to read the Bull.

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