At a November 3 press conference in Rome, Archbishop Rino Fisichella,
the president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization,
outlined plans for the last two major events before the close of the
Jubilee Year: the Jubilee for Prisoners on November 5-6 and the Jubilee
of the Socially Excluded on November 11-13.
In outlining plans for the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis had
specifically mentioned prisoners, Archbishop Fisichella recalled.
The
Pontiff has written to all the world’s bishops, encouraging them to join
in the Jubilee for Prisoners on November 5-6 by visiting jails.
About
4,000 people have responded to a papal invitation to participate in the
ceremonies in Rome.
Prisoners and their families, along with prison officials and
chaplains, have been invited to join in a program that will include
opportunities for Confession in the Jubilee churches of Rome, a
pilgrimage down the Via della Conciliazone to pass through the Holy Door
of the Vatican basilica, and Mass on Sunday.
The Jubilee for the Socially Excluded will take place the following
weekend. This event, Archbishop Fisichella said, is for “those who for
different reasons—from economic precariousness to various illnesses,
from loneliness to the lack of family bonds—have difficulty in inserting
themselves in the social fabric and often remain at the margins of
society.” About 6,000 people have registered.
The events will include a
Friday meeting with Pope Francis in the Paul VI auditorium, Saturday
sharing sessions in several Roman churches, a vigil at the basilica of
St. Paul Outside the Walls, and Mass in St. Peters on Sunday morning.
Jubilee organizers report that to date nearly 20 million people have
participated in events organized in Rome for the Year of Mercy.