Jubilee 2025: Pope Francis asks Roman Catholics to combat housing emergency

As Rome’s temperatures drop and the jubilee year of 2025 approaches, Pope Francis has asked priests and religious in the Eternal City to open any empty facilities on their properties to people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes. houses.

Noting the accommodation problems that could be caused by the large influx of pilgrims planned for next year’s Jubilee, the Holy Father asked for “a brave gesture of love” in a letter published this Friday, November 15.

“I want all diocesan realities that own properties to offer their contribution to stop the housing emergency with signs of charity and solidarity to generate hope in the thousands of people who in the city of Rome find themselves in precarious housing conditions,” the Pope highlighted. Francis.

The Pontiff asked all ecclesial realities, including movements, religious orders and diocesan churches, to offer available apartments or boarding houses to those who may need them.

He recalled the theme of the jubilee year, hope, which “is born from love and feeling loved,” and highlighted that the Social Doctrine of the Church makes clear the right of everyone to land, a home and work.

“In view of the Jubilee, I have asked my diocese to give a concrete sign of attention to housing issues so that, along with the welcome given to all the pilgrims who will arrive, forms of protection are activated for those who do not have a home. or they are in danger of losing it,” said Pope Francis.

The jubilee, or holy year, which will formally begin on December 24, 2024, has impacted the growing number of tourist and short-stay rentals in Rome, leading to a housing shortage for Rome residents, experts warn. experts.

According to some estimates, since 2018 the number of short-term apartment rentals, such as Airbnb, has grown from 17,000 to 30,000.

“Rome’s real estate market is going through a period of increasing pressure due to the shortage of residential housing and the increase in tourist rentals,” Silvia Dri, a Rome real estate expert, told the financial magazine Milano Finanza in October. .

“This situation creates difficulties for families and students, who are forced to seek solutions further and further away from the center or to share living spaces,” he added.

In October, the Holy Father reconfigured the prefectures of the Diocese of Rome due to the exodus of residents from the historic center.

The large influx of tourists has also had an impact on the pastoral needs of the area, which now has only 35 Catholic parishes, many of them with few parishioners.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.