Pope Francis sends a letter to the Catholic Church in Costa Rica at the outset of a jubilee year leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Central American nation’s dioceses.
By Devin Watkins
The Church in Costa Rica inaugurated the jubilee year on Sunday, to help the faithful prepare for the centenary of the country’s ecclesiastical province, to be marked on 16 February 2021.
In a letter sent on Sunday, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin conveyed Pope Francis’ spiritual closeness to Costa Rican Catholics during this special year.
The Pope encourages them to recall “the merciful love of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom all truth, goodness, and beauty flow”.
Bring Gospel to the poor
All lay people, priests, and consecrated religious, he says, should “strive untiringly to continue His work of evangelization, sharing with all the joy of the Gospel, especially those most in need”.
He urges Catholics to give “true Christian witness” within the various aspects of society.
Pope Francis concludes his letter imploring the maternal protection of Our Lady of the Angels upon the Church in Costa Rica, and offers his Apostolic Blessing for all who participate in the solemn jubilee.
Jubilee celebrations
Pope Benedict XV created the dioceses of San José, Limón, and Alajuela with the papal bull “Praedecessorum” in 1921.
Jubilee celebrations will be held in those three historical dioceses, out of the eight that currently make up the ecclesiastical province.
The faithful are invited to visit one of the Cathedrals in San José, Limón, and Alajuela at some point during the year in order to receive a plenary indulgence.
