October 1999 Print

 

The Continuing History of the Holy Years

The Jubilees During the Great Schism

During the Great Schism,¹ the Roman Pope Urban VI (1378-1389), judging that many pilgrims would not be able to share in the favor of a Jubilee if it only came around every fifty years, decided to shorten the period. He reduced the Holy Year period to 33 years in memory of the length of time our Lord Jesus Christ spent upon earth. Urban VI also hoped that the new Holy Year, announced at this time of manifest crisis, would put an end to the grave scandal of a Church with two heads. For various reasons, he was unable to celebrate the planned Jubilee in 1383 and finally announced it for 1390 in the Bull Salvator Noster of April 8, 1389.

At the end of this century, all Christendom was set on gaining the indulgence of the centennial year 1400, as Boniface VIII had ordered in 1300. Again, it was Boniface IX who ordered this fourth Jubilee. In spite of wars (like the Hundred Years' War) and divisions such as those instigated by the Great Schism, Rome saw a great increase in the number of pilgrims.² This was the great period of itinerant fraternities: long processions of men, of women, of children, of peasants and of students, going from town to town, dressed in white, listening on their way to sermons by great preachers such as St. Vincent Ferrer. They came to Rome in great numbers during this Jubilee year, which is why it was called "the White Jubilee."

 

The Great Jubilee of 1450

The Great Schism came to an end with the Pontificate of Pope Martin V (1417-1431). This Pope, whose body rests in the nave of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, respected the prescriptions of Urban VI, who had fixed the Holy Year at intervals of 33 years. In 1423, the Jubilee took place without any Bull having announced it officially. Few pilgrims came to Rome because of the difficulty of the times.

By contrast, the Jubilee of 1450 proclaimed by Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455) was a grandiose event. After the evils of the Great Schism, it was saluted as the dawn of a veritable resurrection of the Church. From the whole of Christendom, enthusiastic crowds thronged to Rome to acquire the precious indulgence but also to see the Holy City—Roma Sancta—which had once again become the sole religious capital of Christendom. The historian Christophorus a Soldo said: "Christians have never been known to attend a Jubilee in such crowds as those who came this time. Kings, Dukes, Marquis, Counts and Knights...in short, people of all ranks set out for Rome everyday." Aeneus Sylvius (the future Pope Pius II) put the number of mouths to be fed every day at no less than 40,000. A thousand official hostels received the pilgrims but most often, they slept on straw.³

There was a great fervor. The pilgrims visited the Basilicas and prayed in each one. Confessors in all languages were installed under the shadow of St. Peter's. One of the main events of this Jubilee Year was the canonization of St. Bernardine of Sienna (1380-1444), the most popular saint Italy had seen for centuries. Unprecedented pageantry was seen on May 24, Pentecost, when Nicholas V declared St. Bernardine a saint. A great number of preachers recounted the edifying life of St. Bernardine and all the churches of the Italian peninsula organized processions in his honor. Pope Nicholas V, too, edified the pilgrims by walking barefoot through the streets of Rome to make the Way of the Cross.

Seeing this proof of the resurrection of the Faith, it was impressed upon the world that the Vatican, whose authority had been so violently damaged, was once again the center of Christendom.

 

The Spirit of the Holy Year

It is not known at what period the ceremony of the opening of the Holy Door was instituted but, in his Bull Inter Curas Multiplices of December 20, 1499, Pope Alexander VI definitively laid down the ceremonial.

In 1750, Benedict XIV took care to re-establish the form which the ceremony should take by issuing four successive new constitutions. Through the Holy Year of 1950, this ceremonial was scrupulously respected.

We have already explained the Christian symbolism of this ceremony. It is summed up in the three hammer blows which represent the triple joy of the Church Militant, Suffering, and Triumphant. The hammer is used, and not a key, because a door that can be opened with keys is still a door and can be closed, even for ever, whereas, if it is opened by a hammer, it is actually demolished. This signifies that the repentant sinner can enter without obstacle and without fear of ever again seeing this Holy Door of forgiveness shut. The four Major Basilicas each have a Holy Door; this represents the four quarters of the world, since the Blood of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, has the power to wash away the sins of all mankind.

After the Sovereign Pontiff (i.e., he who makes the bridge—pons—between God and men), the crowd of Christians, having confessed and repented, pressed through the Holy Door, after the cardinals, bishops and clergy, to rush into the arms of the Thrice-Holy God, the Merciful Father who wants to save His children. Once the Holy Door is opened, the Sovereign Pontiff prays in the Basilica of St. Peter for the general intentions of the Jubilee.

This is how Pius XII formulated the intentions of the Jubilee Year 1950.⁴

1) That everyone should try to live in a more holy manner. In making prayer to God, everyone should first ask that, by their prayers and penances, they may expiate in particular their own faults and make progress in amending their lives and living as Christians, so that this Jubilee will hasten the universal return of all men to Christ.

2) That they should pray that the Church may stay strong in the midst of the storm. Furthermore, by fervent prayer, they should ask that everyone shall hold fast, unshakably and with their whole will, in fidelity to the Divine Redeemer and to the Church founded by Him; and that the sacred rights of the Church shall always be preserved inviolate against the snares, deceits and scheming of her enemies.

3) That those who live outside the Catholic Church may be touched by Grace. That those who do not know the Catholic truth, or who are straying from the straight path, including those who scorn and blaspheme God, may be enlightened by the Light which comes from above and touched by an irresistible Grace, so that they may be brought to obey the Gospel precepts.

4) That peace may once again reign over the world. That a serene tranquility and a stable peace may be re-established as soon as possible throughout the world and particularly in the Holy Places of Palestine.

Nothing more is prescribed, dear sons, except to say that We invite you, with fatherly affection, to come to Rome in great numbers during the Holy Year; to Rome, we say, which is like a second native land for Christians of all nations. Dear sons, pilgrimages of this sort should not be undertaken in the same way as journeys taken for pleasure, but with a great spirit of piety which, in former centuries, was strikingly evident in the Faithful of all classes and all races; in order to come to Rome, even on foot, they were prepared to overcome all the obstacles their path presented, with the single aim of wiping out their sins by the tears of penitence and of imploring pardon and peace from God.

Stir up, therefore, this faith of former times with the fervor of Divine Charity. Then it will come to pass, thanks to the inspiration and succor of the Holy Spirit, that this forthcoming solemn Jubilee will produce fruits of salvation in each of the faithful and in all Christendom.

 

A Jubilee Every 25 Years from 1475 Onwards

Pope Paul II (1464-1471) had the same view as Urban VI, namely, that many of the faithful would not be able to benefit from the Jubilee if it were only celebrated every 50 years. Accordingly, by a Bull of April 19, 1470, he ordered that it would be celebrated every 25 years, beginning with 1475. This has remained the practice ever since.

Pontiff and cardinals worked to beautify the city for the Jubilee: the ancient Janicular Gate, Ponte Rotto, was reconstructed and renamed Ponte Sixto; the aqueduct of 1'Acqua Vergine was restored; the hospital of the Holy Spirit located near St. Peter's itself (which is currently under restoration) was outfitted to receive pilgrims. Many churches were repaired or beautified. As Sigismondo de Conti, an observer of the time, wrote: "There was probably not a chapel in the entire city which the Pope had not restored for the Jubilee Year."

However, the influx of pilgrims was not what had been expected. Few people were in Rome for Christmas 1474. After Easter the number of pilgrims increased, particularly from the Holy Roman Empire. Ferdinand of Naples, Christian of Denmark and Charlotte of Cyprus came to Rome. In November, the Tiber having burst its banks, people had to travel by boat to reach St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls. Plague and malaria proliferated in the flooded quarters. Faced with this situation, Pope Sixtus IV decided that the Jubilee could be celebrated during Eastertide 1476 at Bologna. A vast number of pilgrims flooded into this city and the Jubilee alms were applied to the war against the Mohammedan Turks.

 

The Jubilee of 1500

With the Bull Consueverunt of Holy Thursday, April 12, 1498, Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) announced the Jubilee of the year 1500.

The Pope himself conducted the ceremony on Christmas Eve, 1499, having meticulously prepared all its details. Vested in all the pontifical ornaments he proceeded towards the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. There he was given a hammer, a symbol of the power entrusted to him and in virtue of which "he opens and no one closes, he closes and no one opens" (Apoc. 3:7), and then he knocked on the Door. The stonemasons demolished it, which took half an hour. The Pope, holding a lighted candle in his left hand, was the first to go through the Holy Door into the Basilica, where the procession followed him, intoning the Te Deum. After this, Vespers was sung. The designated cardinals carried out the ceremony in the three other basilicas.

On 14 April, the Pope visited the four principal churches in order to gain the Jubilee Indulgence. For the first time, the Pope permitted the plenary indulgence to be applied to the souls in Purgatory.

Pilgrims came in great numbers yet not in the same quantity as at the Jubilees of 1300 and 1350. Sigismond de Conti wrote, "The entire universe was in Rome."

On November 1, after four days of incessant rain, the Tiber began to flood. In a few hours it became impossible to reach the Vatican. In December the pope granted an extension of the Jubilee, in the case of Rome, until Epiphany. By a practice which was regularly followed ever since, he extended the Jubilee Indulgence. Initially it was extended to all the faithful of Italy and then to the entire world, on condition that they gave alms for the war against the Mohammedan Turks, who were advancing through the Balkans, having taken Constantinople in 1453.

With this Jubilee, celebrated in the ancient Constantinian basilica, we come to the end of the period of development of the Holy Years. After this there will be only minor modifications to the ceremonial.

 

The Themes Illustrated on the Holy Door of St. Peter's

(Left) A jubilee brick for 1950. The bricks are used to wall up the Holy Door in St. Peter's after it has been closed at the end of the Jubilee Year. (Right) On Christmas Eve, 1949, Pope Pius XII, opens the Holy Year of 1950 by striking the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica three times with a hammer.

 

The episodes, engraved in bronze,⁵ to be found on the Holy Door recapitulate the history of salvation. The following is a list of these bronze plaques and the texts that accompany them.

• The Cherubim at the Gate of Paradise. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Serpent-tempter.

•  Adam and Eve are banished from Paradise. Quod Heva tristis abstulit—What unhappy Eve caused to be lost. Adam is weighed down by God's curse. Eve, covered with shame, hides her face with her arm.

•  The Annunciation to Mary. Tu reddis almo Germine—You will restore by your divine Son.

•  The Angel of the Annunciation. The angel is represented on the right—he offers a rose to the Virgin Mary.

•  The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Tu venis ad me?—"Do you come to me?"

•  The Lost Sheep. Salvare quod perierat— To save what was lost.

•  The Merciful Father. Pater, peccavi in coelum et coram te—Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

•  The Healing of the Paralytic. Tolle grabatum tuum et ambular—"Take up your bed and walk."

•  The Woman who was a sinner is forgiven. Remittuntur ei peccata multa—Her sins, which are many, are forgiven her.

•  The Obligation to forgive. Septuagies septies—Seventy times seven.

•  St. Peter's denial. Conversus Dominus respexit Petrum—Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter.

•  The Good Thief. Hodie mecum eris in paradiso—"Today you will be with me in paradise."

•  Christ appears to Thomas. Beati qui crediderunt—"Blessed are those who have believed."

•  The Risen Lord appears in the Cenacle. Accipite Spiritum Sanctum— "Receive the Holy Spirit."

•  The Risen Christ appears to Saul. Sum Jesus quem tu persequeris—"I am Jesus whom you are persecuting."

•  The Opening of the Holy Door. Sto ad ostium pulsa—"Behold, I stand at the door and knock."

At the foot of the Holy Door are two Latin inscriptions: one gives the chronological details of the Door, while the other expresses the wish that those who cross the threshold of the temple will receive spiritual gifts. The latter reads: "May the sources of divine grace spring forth in abundance from hence, purify the souls of all who enter, restore them by giving them divine peace, and clothe them in Christian virtue—Holy Year 1950."

 

The Spirit of a Pilgrimage to Rome During a Holy Year

After Boniface VIII the Popes consistently reminded people, in their Bulls announcing the event, of the spirit which should animate pilgrims visiting Rome during a Holy Year. These admonitions were to be the subject of meditation for the pilgrims planning to make the trip. In his Bull promulgating the universal Jubilee of the 1900 Holy Year, Pope Leo XIII wrote:

Dearly beloved sons, Rome invites you with affection to come to her, whoever and wherever you are, if you are able to undertake the journey. It should be pointed out, however, that, during this sacred time, a Catholic, if he is to be consistent, should not visit Rome unless he has the Christian faith as his companion. He must renounce unseasonably frivolous and profane amusements and instead direct his spirit to things that promote religion and piety. What, above all, will inspire him with these sentiments, is to consider the natural character of this city and the divine mark which has been imprinted upon it. Among all the cities of the world, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, has chosen this city of Rome for a mission that is higher and more than human, and he has consecrated it to himself. Here, after a long and mysterious preparation, he has established his empire's seat; he has commanded the throne of his Vicar to be set up for ever...

In 1925 Pius XI wrote:

In Rome, too, your piety will find easy access to the ancient Catacombs, the tombs of the Princes of the Apostles, the shrines containing the relics of the most glorious martyrs; here you will have the right to visit the temples which the centuries have erected to the honor of God and the saints, masterpieces of magnificence and art, which the universe has always admired and always will. These monuments of the Christian religion should be visited in a spirit of piety and prayer. In Rome, in fact, you should not behave like tourists or ordinary visitors. On the contrary, you will avoid all profane distractions; you will be always permeated by a spirit of penitence, so abhorred by modern naturalism. You will be noted principally for modesty in your eyes, your bearing and your dress; your whole conduct will show your concern for spiritual interests.

Pius XII on the occasion of the 1950 Holy Year, mentions the spirit of piety, which should animate pilgrims:

We paternally invite you to come to Rome in great numbers during the course of the Holy Year. To Rome, which is a kind of second fatherland to Christians of all nations....In the splendor of the basilicas, the beauty of the solemn liturgies, and in the shadow of the ancient Christian cemeteries close to the venerable relics of the saints, you will breathe an atmosphere of holiness, peace and universality which will give your life a profound Christian renewal....Dear sons, pilgrimages of this kind should not be undertaken in the same way as those who travel for pleasure, but in a great spirit of piety which, in former centuries, was always noteworthy among the faithful of all classes and of all races. These faithful, many of whom came to Rome on foot, managed to overcome all the obstacles to their journey, with the aim of effacing their sins by their tears of penitence and imploring of God pardon and peace.

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1. The "Great Schism," also known as the "Western Schism," is the name given to the split in the Catholic Church between 1378 and 1417. During this period, there were two popes at the same time, one residing in Rome and the other in Avignon. In 1409 there was even a third, at Pisa. The Council of Constance (1414-1418) and the subsequent election of Martin V (1417) put an end to this deplorable situation.

2.On the advice of his Council, Charles VI, seeing thousands of French people leaving the country, prohibited all his subjects from undertaking this journey!

3.Nicholas had taken the precaution of having the narrowest streets of Rome widened. However, a terrible misfortune occurred on December 19, 1450. On this day, the veil of St. Veronica had been exposed at St. Peter's. The crowd was so great that a crush of pilgrims at the bridge of St. Angelo led to tens of pilgrims failing into the Tiber. Many of them perished. Nicholas V was so affected by this that he fell into a kind of hypochondria. At the entrance to the bridge, he had two chapels erected in reparation. Subsequently they were replaced by the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul.

4.Bull Jubilaeum Maximum, promulgating the 1950 Jubilee (May 26, 1949), A.A.S., 1949, p. 257.

5.The two bronze swing-doors which one now sees replace a wooden door which was inaugurated by Benedict XIV in 1748 and which remained in place until the end of the Second World War. The Bishop of Basilea-Lugano, Msgr. Francesco von Streng, in order to witness to the gratitude of the Swiss people who were spared during the War, presented Pope Pius XII with the new swing-doors for the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica. Pius XII blessed them during the solemn ceremony of opening the Jubilee at Christmas 1949 [Le Sainte Anne, Nos.105, 106].