LET’S BE BETTER

In a world ravaged by violence and increasing selfishness, Catholics both locally and worldwide are learning the true meaning of mercy through a special year designated by Pope Francis as a way to show more compassion in an often-hateful world.

During a Lenten penitential service in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome last March, the Pope announced the convocation of a jubilee year, a time meant to bring more intense focus to a central theme while offering blessing and forgiveness of sins. A Holy Year of Mercy seemed only fitting as this has been the pontiff’s main focus since taking up the role almost three years ago.

But what exactly is a holy year and how does it differ from any other time?

According to Fr. Jay Baker of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux, one of two local designated pilgrimage places, along with St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Houma, the year, which runs through Nov. 20, is an opportunity to revel in the Father’s mercy but also an opportunity to extend that mercy to others. Although typically observed roughly every 25 years, the Pope also has the power to declare extraordinary jubilee years during times he sees fit to rediscover the theme at hand. There have been 26 ordinary jubilees the last extraordinary jubilee year was declared by Saint John Paul II in 1983.

“Pope Francis sees this Jubilee Year of Mercy as a time of healing and reconciliation so that people might know reconciliation with God, and also the healing of the wounds that we allow to separate and divide us from one another,” Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Bishop Shelton Fabre explained. “By reflecting upon and receiving God’s mercy during this Jubilee Year, the Pope is then challenging us to reflect upon how we can share that mercy with others. For example, we can let go of old grudges, hurts and misunderstandings and receive and give mercy to one another. This is a time for healing our relationship with God, and for seeking to heal our relationships with one another. Mercy is always an appropriate theme to reflect upon, and in this Year of Mercy the Pope is reminding us of this fact.”

This year-long focus is much more than a simple observance, however. It is also a time in which a special forgiveness is offered to wipe clean the punishment related to sins committed.

Traditionally, to receive such forgiveness, pilgrims would travel to Rome to pass through designated Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica, a hub of Christianity, the first step in a process that offers a plenary indulgence. Such doors are typically bricked up, only to be opened during jubilee years.

For those unable to make the long journey to Rome, Pope Francis has extended the invitation to open holy doors worldwide to make pilgrimages easier. St. Joseph Co-Cathedral and St. Francis de Sales Cathedral both shut designated passageways over the summer, reopening them during celebrations presided over by Bishop Fabre on Dec. 13.

“Usually for every Jubilee Year in the diocese, there are usually places of pilgrimage that are designated as spots that have sort of this Holy Door to symbolize the doors of Christ, that Christ is open to all people,” Very Reverend Joshua Rodrigue, STL, of St. Francis de Sales said. “The Church is made up of those living stones and so the Church building itself represents the Body of Christ…The doors are designated. There are signs over the doors that say Year of Mercy. There’s a certain decree from the

Bishop right when you open the doors that you can read, opening up and declaring the cathedral and co-cathedral in Thibodaux as places of pilgrimage where a person can go to receive the indulgence that the Church offers.”

Although plenary indulgences are available at any time, Fabre explained, there are specific indulgences only available during holy years.

“The plenary indulgence that is available during the Year of Mercy is a temporary addition to the normative listing of plenary indulgences,” Fabre said of the process which traditionally includes performing a particular action and following what are considered normal actions, like praying for the Pope. “During the Year of Mercy, the Holy Father Pope Francis has decreed that a plenary indulgence can be obtained by those who will make a pilgrimage to the site of a Holy Door, pass through the Holy Door as an indication of one’s deep desire for true conversion of heart to Jesus Christ, the doorway to the Father’s Mercy, and then fulfill the normative requirements for a plenary indulgence.”

As the Holy Year of Mercy progresses, pilgrims may make their way to either cathedral in Houma or Thibodaux to experience the power of such a significant time in the Church. Many churches throughout the diocese will also offer programming explaining the significance of such a time or encourage parishioners to show mercy to those in most need of kindness and compassion.

“The personal challenge that I have embraced which I have encouraged the parishioners of St. Joseph to embrace is to enliven the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy,” Baker explained of the acts, like feeding the hungry, that are meant to extend God’s mercy to others.

He has also encouraged parishioners to approach the Works broadly, thinking beyond the traditional sense of each action to cover a variety of needs.

“For example, clothing the naked. At face value, they could donate gently worn clothes to Gym Dandy or St. Vincent de Paul… More broadly, they might participate in our collection of household items, which cannot be purchased with food stamps, for the needy or take part in the Christmas Toy Drive – the former ‘covers’ a family’s need to cleaning supplies while the latter ‘covers’ a child’s desire for a new toy… All of this is a visible effort to “Be Merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

In all, the three agreed the biggest emphasis should be placed on becoming kinder, gentler people.

“Part of mercy is compassion,” Rodrigue explained. “That really explains God’s mercy toward us. The word compassion literally means ‘to suffer with.’ So often in society today we can be isolated from one another with just our technology. While technology can bring us closer together, it can also isolate us from really feeling for one another, especially in the Digital Age where we have Facebook and Twitter and texting. You can sort of become separated from people while still feeling connected toward others. I think with Pope Francis’ actions, especially when you see him going out to the people, embracing the people, especially embracing those that society would sort of either look down upon or cast aside or we try and overlook..! think that ability to suffer with focuses on being able to empathize and sympathize with others, especially now as we see instability in the Middle East and other nations where there is war there…So with mercy and compassion, we are able to show forgiveness because if we are able to forgive one another, then the ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ goes away.”

Catholics across the world are partaking in a Holy Year of Mercy through Nov. 20, a year-long long observance that dwells on the idea of compassion, while offering a special forgiveness of sins.

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