The Jubilee Year 2025, proclaimed by Pope Francis, centers on the call to be Pilgrims of Hope. In his words: "We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart, and a far-sighted vision." This conference responds to that call by inviting the faithful to journey together—guided by Scripture, prayer, and theological reflection—toward a deeper understanding of hope as a lived and transformative reality.

HOPE AND THE WORD OF GOD. 

Hope is not passive optimism; it is a theological virtue that anchors our desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life. Rooted in Christ's promises and sustained by the grace of the Holy Spirit (CCC #1817), hope empowers us to persevere through moments of distress, confusion, and abandonment. As we walk in God's Word, we are reminded that Scripture offers direction, comfort, and strength—especially in times of global uncertainty.

Conference Focus 

Anchored in Psalm 119:81, "I have put my hope in Your word," this conference explores how hope, grounded in Scripture, becomes a powerful response to the "sighs of despair" in our world: marginalization, migration crises, ecological emergencies, threats to truth and democracy, and pandemic vulnerability. Through three interwoven presentations, we seek to transform these sighs into signs of hope:

A. Sighs of Despair, Signs of Hope: Road Maps for and beyond Iubelaeum 2025

Offers a pastoral roadmap using the spiral method—See, Judge, Act, Evaluate, Celebrate—to discern hope amid crisis and align faith with action through Laudato Si and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

B. IN SPE: Reading Biblical Hope 

Reinterprets hope as a radical, future-oriented vocation. Drawing from Scripture, Thomistic thought, and contemporary voices, it affirms hope as a courageous solidarity with suffering and a refusal of closure, rooted in God's promise.

C. Resurrection as Lived Hope: Walking with Christ in a Pastoral Context