Formal announcement of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy

The Bull of Indiction (Misericordiae Vultus, or 'The Face of Mercy') formally announcing a Holy Year was released by Pope Francis last Saturday in Rome. The document indicates when the Holy Year will be, how it will unfold, the reasons why it is being proclaimed, and what the results it is hoped will be.

The upcoming Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy will commence this coming December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and conclude on November 20, 2016, with the Solemnity of Christ the King.

At the beginning of his Bull of Indiction, the Holy Father writes: "Jesus Christ is the face of the Father's mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him.... We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it.

"Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.... At times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father's action in our lives. For this reason I have proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as a special time for the Church; a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective."

See Link to the Bull titled in English 'The Face of Mercy': http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco_bolla_20150411_misericordiae-vultus.html