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CatholicJubileesDateBacktoYear1300|ZENITTheWorldSeenFromRome

TheworldseenfromRome
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/catholicjubileesdatebacktoyear13002

CatholicJubileesDateBacktoYear1300
Fromthearchives,anexplanationofthespecialyearthatstartsDec.8
Rome,November18,2015(ZENIT.org)FatherThomasRosica|939hits
InSt.PetersBasilicaduringtheCommunalPenanceServicePopeFrancisannouncedlastFriday,March
13,thecelebrationofanextraordinaryHolyYear.ThisJubileeofMercywillcommencewiththe
openingoftheHolyDoorinSt.PetersontheSolemnityoftheImmaculateConception,2015,andwill
concludeonNovember20,2016withtheSolemnityofOurLordJesusChrist,KingoftheUniverse.At
thestartofthenewyear,theHolyFatherhadstated:Thisisthetimeofmercy.Itisimportantthatthe
layfaithfulliveitandbringitintodifferentsocialenvironments.Goforth!
TheJubileeannouncementhadbeenmadeonthesecondanniversaryoftheelectionofPopeFrancis,
duringhishomilyforthepenitentialliturgywithwhichtheHolyFatheropenedthe24Hoursforthe
Lord.Thisinitiative,proposedbythePontificalCouncilforthePromotionoftheNewEvangelization,
promotesthroughouttheworldtheopeningofchurchesforanextendedperiodoftimeforthepurposeof
invitingpeopletothecelebrationoftheSacramentofReconciliation.Thethemeforthisyearhasbeen
takenfromtheLetterofSt.PaultotheEphesians,Godrichinmercy(Eph2:4).
TheopeningofthisnextJubileewilltakeplaceonthefiftiethanniversaryoftheclosingoftheSecond
VaticanCouncilin1965.Thisisofgreatsignificance,foritimpelstheChurchtocontinuethework
begunatVaticanII.
DuringtheJubilee,theSundayreadingsforOrdinaryTimewillbetakenfromtheGospelofLuke,the
onereferredtoastheevangelistofmercy.DanteAlighieridescribeshimasscribamansuetudinis
Christi,narratorofthemeeknessofChrist.Therearemanywellknownparablesofmercypresented
intheGospelofLuke:thelostsheep,thelostcoin,themercifulfather.
TheofficialandsolemnannouncementoftheHolyYearwilltakeplacewiththepublicproclamationof
theBollainfrontoftheHolyDooronDivineMercySunday,theFeastinstitutedbySaintJohnPaulIIand
celebratedontheSundayafterEaster.
IntheancientHebrewtradition,theJubileeYear,whichwascelebratedevery50years,wasmeantto
restoreequalityamongallofthechildrenofIsrael,offeringnewpossibilitiestofamilieswhichhadlost
theirpropertyandeventheirpersonalfreedom.Inaddition,theJubileeYearwasaremindertotherich

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thatatimewouldcomewhentheirIsraeliteslaveswouldonceagainbecometheirequalsandwouldbe
abletoreclaimtheirrights.Justice,accordingtotheLawofIsrael,consistedaboveallintheprotection
oftheweak(St.JohnPaulII,Tertiomillenioadveniente13).
TheCatholictraditionoftheHolyYearbeganwithPopeBonifaceVIIIin1300.BonifaceVIIIhad
envisionedaJubileeeverycentury.From1475onwardsinordertoalloweachgenerationtoexperience
atleastoneHolyYeartheordinaryJubileewastobecelebratedevery25years.However,an
extraordinaryJubileemaybeannouncedontheoccasionofaneventofparticularimportance.
Untilpresent,therehavebeen26ordinaryHolyYearcelebrations,thelastofwhichwastheJubileeof
2000.ThecustomofcallingextraordinaryJubileesdatesbacktotheXVIcentury.Thelastextraordinary
HolyYears,whichwerecelebratedduringthepreviouscentury,werethosein1933,proclaimedbyPius
XItocelebrateXIXhundredyearsofRedemptionandin1983,proclaimedbyJohnPaulIIonthe
occasionofthe1950yearsofRedemption.
TheCatholicChurchhasgiventotheHebrewJubileeamorespiritualsignificance.Itconsistsinageneral
pardon,anindulgenceopentoall,andthepossibilitytorenewonesrelationshipwithGodandneighbor.
Thus,theHolyYearisalwaysanopportunitytodeepenonesfaithandtolivewitharenewed
commitmenttoChristianwitness.
WiththeJubileeofMercy,PopeFrancisfocusesattentionuponthemercifulGodwhoinvitesallmenand
womentoreturntoHim.TheencounterwithGodinspiresinonethevirtueofmercy.
TheinitialriteoftheJubileeistheopeningoftheHolyDoor.Thisdoorisonewhichisonlyopened
duringtheHolyYearandwhichremainsclosedduringallotheryears.Eachofthefourmajorbasilicasof
RomehasaHolyDoor:SaintPeters,St.JohnLateran,St.PaulOutsidetheWallsandSt.MaryMajor.
ThisriteoftheopeningoftheHolyDoorillustratessymbolicallytheideathat,duringtheJubilee,the
faithfulareofferedanextraordinarypathwaytowardssalvation.
TheHolyDoorsoftheotherBasilicaswillbeopenedaftertheopeningoftheHolyDoorofSt.Peters
Basilica.
MercyisathemeverydeartoPopeFrancis,asisexpressedintheepiscopalmottohehad
chosen:miserandoatqueeligendo.ThiscitationistakenfromthehomilyofSaintBedetheVenerable
duringwhichhecommentedontheGospelpassageofthecallingofSaintMatthew:Viditergolesus
publicanumetquiamiserandoatqueeligendovidit,aitilliSequereme(Jesusthereforeseesthetax
collector,andsinceheseesbyhavingmercyandbychoosing,hesaystohim,followme).Thishomily
isatributetodivinemercy.OnepossibletranslationofthismottoisWitheyesofmercy.
DuringthefirstAngelusafterhiselections,theHolyFatherstated:Feelingmercy,thatthisword
changeseverything.Thisisthebestthingwecanfeel:itchangestheworld.Alittlemercymakesthe
worldlesscoldandmorejust.WeneedtounderstandproperlythismercyofGod,thismercifulFather
whoissopatient(Angelus,March17,2013).
InhisAngelusonJanuary11,2015,hestated:Thereissomuchneedofmercytoday,anditisimportant
thatthelayfaithfulliveitandbringitintodifferentsocialenvironments.Goforth!Wearelivinginthe
ageofmercy,thisistheageofmercy.Then,inhis2015LentenMessage,theHolyFather
expressed:HowgreatlyIdesirethatallthoseplaceswheretheChurchispresent,especiallyourparishes
andourcommunities,maybecomeislandsofmercyinthemidstoftheseaofindifference!
IntheEnglisheditionoftheApostolicExhortationEvangeliigaudiumthetermmercyappears32times.

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PopeFrancishasentrustedthePontificalCouncilforthePromotionoftheNewEvangelizationwiththe
organizationoftheJubileeofMercy.
ListofjubileeyearsandtheirPopes:
1300:BonifaceVIII
1350:ClementVI
1390:proclaimedbyUrbanVI,presidedoverbyBonifaceIX
1400:BonifaceIX
1423:MartinV
1450:NicholasV
1475:proclaimedbyPaulII,presidedoverbySixtusIV
1500:AlexanderVI
1525:ClementVII
1550:proclaimedbyPaulIII,presidedoverbyJuliusIII
1575:GregoryXIII
1600:ClementVIII
1625:UrbanVIII
1650:InnocentX
1675:ClementX
1700:openedbyInnocentXII,closedbyClementXI
1725:BenedictXIII
1750:BenedictXIV
1775:proclaimedbyClementXIV,presidedoverbyPiusVI
1825:LeoXII
1875:PiusIX
1900:LeoXIII
1925:PiusXI
1933:PiusXI
1950:PiusXII

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1975:PaulVI
1983:JohnPaulII
2000:JohnPaulII
2015:Francis
Intheyears1800and1850,duetothepoliticalcircumstancesofthetimes,therewerenojubilees.

(November18,2015)InnovativeMediaInc.

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