First, "hope." Pope Francis explained the purpose of the Jubilee: "The coming Jubilee can greatly contribute to reviving the atmosphere of hope and trust that will give us a foretaste of the renewal and new birth that we so desperately desire. This is why I have chosen the motto of the Jubilee as "Pilgrims of Hope."
When the Pope visited the Korean Church for the beatification ceremony in 2014, he also asked the Korean bishops: "Please be guardians of memory and hope."
The Pope emphasizes hope because this era is desperately looking forward to hope. There is no sign that war and violence are disappearing around the world. Countless are the victims of famine, infectious diseases, and natural disasters. The economic and political crisis is causing chaos not only in our country but also throughout the world. Many young people are despairing.
The works of Han Kang, the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, have received worldwide attention probably because she has drawn empathy by meticulously depicting the violence that appears in human life, the trauma and wounds that result from it, and the fragility of life, and has searched for humanity beyond that. In short, her writings have comforted people because she has not given up hope.
It is clear that this era, where hope is threatened, is in crisis, but this can also be an excellent opportunity for the Church. This is because the Church holds a greater hope than what humanity desires. In fact: "In hope we have been saved" (Romans 8:24). Furthermore, the Church has always sought hope and testifies to the hope it has found. "Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope that is in you." (1 Pet 3:15). Today, we are called to bear witness to that very hope.
A church that does not hope, does not dream together, and cannot bear witness to hope has nothing to offer the world. Fortunately, the Church continues to witness hope through the Holy Spirit's work and the believers' efforts. It sheds light on the dawn of hope in many places worldwide.
However, hope is not given on its own. That is why it must be a 'pilgrimage'. Hope is a dawn that comes only to those who seek and reflect on it. Just as the Magi set out again to find the star they had lost and the star rose again (cf. Mt 2:1-12), Christians are pilgrims who set out again to find hope.
The characters in the Bible are people who overcame trials and lived with hope. We who set out on a pilgrimage to find hope are the world's hope. This is why we must begin the Jubilee of 2025 with hope.
The word "hope" reflects an undeniable dark shadow in human life. The crises and trials we must endure, and the solutions that humans themselves cannot find... But it is precisely there that hope shines. Hope starts from our reality but directs us towards something beyond ourselves.
The figures in the Bible were those who overcame trials and sought hope, and all church members were pilgrims who followed in their footsteps to find hope. Therefore, "pilgrims of hope" is our very name. And we, who embark on a pilgrimage to find hope, are the hope for the world.
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