The Bull of Indiction (Misericordiae Vultus, or “The Face of Mercy”) formally announcing a Holy Year was released by Pope Francis on April 11, 2015, in Rome.
In his announcement, Pope Francis said: “Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have often reflected upon how the Church can make its mission as a witness of mercy more apparent. It is a journey that begins with spiritual conversion. For this reason I have decided to proclaim an Extraordinary Jubilee which focuses on God’s mercy. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We wish to experience this inspired by the Word of the Lord: “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful” (cfr. Luke 6:36).
The Jubilee of Mercy will commence with the opening of the Holy Door in Saint Peter’s on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 2015, and conclude on November 20, 2016, with the Solemnity of Christ the King. December 8, 2015, also marks the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council.
The Archdiocese of Quebec has announced that the Holy Door of the Cathedral Basilica Notre-Dame de Québec will be open to pilgrims throughout the Jubilee of Mercy. There are seven Holy Doors in the world. Four are in Rome, in each of the papal basilicas; one in France at the Shrine of Saint John Vianney, the Curé of Ars; and one at the Shrine of Saint James in Compostela, Spain. The Holy Door in Quebec City, which first opened December 8, 2013, was a gift of the Holy See and is the only one outside Europe. All seven Holy Doors will be open throughout the Jubilee of Mercy.
Link to the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
The official website for the Jubilee: www.iubilaeummisericordiae.va
Divine Mercy Sunday Homily by the Holy Father on the significance of the Jubilee of Mercy