Charity is a principal characteristic of the Christian life. No one can think that pilgrimage and the celebration of the indulgence of the Jubilee can be reduced to a form of magical ritual, without knowing that it is a life of charity that gives them ultimate meaning. Furthermore, charity is the preeminent sign of the Christian faith and its specific form of credibility. In the context of the Jubilee, the apostle Peter's invitation cannot be forgotten: "Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet. 4:8).
According to John the evangelist, love toward one's neighbor, which comes not from man but from God, will ensure that true disciples of Christ will be recognized in the future. It is apparent, therefore, that no believer can claim to believe if they do not then love, and conversely, they cannot say they love if they do not believe. Paul the apostle also reiterates that faith and love make up the identily of the Christian; love is what begets perfection (see Col. 3:14), faith what enables love to be such. Charity, therefore, has its special place in the life of faith; moreover, in light of the Holy Year, Christian witness must be reaffirmed as a more expressive form of conversion.