Happy Easter 2025: PM Modi sends ‘blessed and joyous’ wishes, ‘this Easter is special because...’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Indians a “blessed and joyous” Easter on Sunday and said the festival is more special this year because it is its Jubilee Year.

According to Catholicreview.org, a Jubilee Year, also known as a “holy year,” is a special year in the life of the church, currently celebrated every 25 years. The theme of Holy Year 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope.”

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote: “Wishing everyone a blessed and joyous Easter. This Easter is special because world over, the Jubilee Year is being observed with immense fervour.”

He prayed that Easter inspires “hope, renewal and compassion” in people, and hoped for “joy and harmony”.

“May this sacred occasion inspire hope, renewal and compassion in every person. May there be joy and harmony all around,” he said.

About Jubilee Year

Although Jubilees have been held at regular intervals in the Catholic church since 1300, they trace their roots to the Jewish tradition of marking a jubilee year every 50 years.

According to the Vatican website for the jubilee, these years in Jewish history were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”

Drawing on their Jewish roots, jubilee years emphasise the sacrament of reconciliation and restoring relationships with God. They also provide an opportunity for a special jubilee indulgence, which can remove sin's residual effects through Christ's grace.

What is Easter?

Easter celebrates the triumph of life over death and stands as a cornerstone of the Christian faith. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, symbolising hope, renewal, and spiritual victory.

It marks the end of Holy Week, which consists of Palm Sunday (Jesus' entry into Jerusalem), Maundy Thursday (Last Supper), Good Friday (Jesus’ crucifixion) and Easter Sunday (Jesus’ resurrection).