Jubilee History  I  The Jubilee 2000  I  Jubilee Churches  I  Jubilee Logo
Holy Door  I  Indulgence  I  Confession  I  Holy Mass  I  Prayer for the Pope
JUBILEE HISTORY
The Jubilee 2000
1300:  Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Christian Jubilee, to be celebrated every 100 years.  The Plenary Indulgence could be gained only at the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome.
1350: Pope Clement VI reduced the interval to 50 years, and included the Basilica of St John Lateran.
1390: Pope Urban Vi added the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
1450: Pope Nicholas V introduced the Opening of the Holy Door in St John Lateran.
1475: Pope Sixtus IV reduced the interval to 25 years.  For the first time the Jubilee was called "Holy Year".
1500: Pope Alexander VI introduced the Holy door in St. Peter's Basilica, to be opened a few hours before the other Holy Doors.
1675: Inauguration of the Berninin Colonnade in St. Peter's Basilica, to accomodate the pilgrims and to signify that the Church embraces all peoples.
1725: 370 slaves  were liberated; 572 crosses were erected in Rome, including one in the Colosseum.
1950: During the Jubilee, Pope Pius XII declared the Dogma of the Assumption.
2000: The Jubilee of the 3rd Millenium is extended to the minor basilicas, cathedrals, and special shrines throughout the world.  The Holy Door of St. Peter will be enlarged to signify the greater mercy of God for the next millenium.
 

THE JUBILEE 2000
The Jubilee, or Holy Year is a period of conversion and grace to be kept every 25 years.  The name comes from the Hebrew word yobhel, or ram's horn, that was blown to announce the beginning of the Holy Year.  It was St Jerome (385 A.D.) who translated yobhel into the Latin Jubilaeum, meaning "rejoicing".

The Jubilee 2000 begins on Christmas Eve of December 25, 1999, with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and ends with its closing on Epiphany, January 6, 2001.

Thr first Christian Jubilee was celebrated by pope Boniface VIII in 1300 AD as a centenary observance. In 1334 Clement VI reduced the interval to 50 years, and in 1470 Paul II further reduced it to 25 years.  Sometimes there are special Holy Years.

To gain the Plenary Jubilee Indulgence, the faithful have to visit a designated church and to perform three works or repentance and piety:  (1) General Confession; (2) Participation in the Holy Mass; (3) Prayer for the intentions of the Pope and a deed of charity.

The pilgrimage to a designated church is a part of the jubilee. until 1500, the Jubilee Indulgence could be gained only in the four Roman Major Basilicas (Peter, Paul, John, Mary Major).  Thereafter, it was extended to the minor basilicas, the cathedrals, and the designated shrines throughout the world.


JUBILEE CHURCHES
The following churches are designated for the Jubilee 2000:
  •  St. Peter
  •  St. John Lateran
  •  St. Mary Major
  •  the Basilicas of Holy Sepulchure (Jerusalem)
  •  the Nativity (Betlehem)
  •  the Annunciation (Nazareth) in Holy Land
  •  cathedrals, minor basilicas, and important shrines throughout the world.

National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians Street, Better Living Subdivision, Parañaque City, M. Manila, Philippines 1711
Tel. Nos. (63-2) 823-3286, 823-3288   Fax No.  823-9482
E-mail Address: [email protected]

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