As the Jubilee approaches, a growing sense of joy and excitement fills the City of Rome, creating a vibrant festive atmosphere. This mirrors the celebration’s origins, when the sound of the ram’s horn—called “Jobel” in Hebrew, from which the Christian term “Jubilee” is derived—echoed throughout the city.
The Holy Doors, powerful symbols of the Jubilee and signs of mercy and hope, stand ready to open, inviting everyone to embrace God’s love, healing, and hope.
But did you know that the very first Holy Door in history was not in Rome?
“We have a Holy Door at the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in Aquila, where Celestine V was crowned. In 1294, a Holy Door was opened there to commemorate that historic event,” explained Professor Francesco Buranelli, President of the Holy See’s Monument Protection Commission.
Only six years later the first Holy Year was announced in Rome.
“It was the year 1300, February 22nd, Solemnity of the Chair of St. Peter when the Pope Boniface VIII Caetani, gave the Bull of Indiction of the very first Jubilee in history,” detailed Pietro Zander, Head of Necropolis and Artistic Heritage of the Fabbrica di San Pietro.
Originally the Jubilee was to be celebrated every 100 years which was soon reduced to 50 and then to every 25 years. The heart of the Holy Year became the City of Rome.
Roberto Regoli, Director of the Church History Department at the Pontifical Gregorian University, noted, “The places of pilgrimage par excellence were those to the tombs of the apostles.”
He further explained, “The people of that period sought to see the Tomb of St. Peter and were coming to Rome hoping to receive an indulgence. The idea of the Jubilee Year, which is biblical, is related to the forgiveness of sins, to the theme of mercy, you make your pilgrimage to be forgiven.”
And this pilgrimage ends with passing through the Holy Door.
“The first Holy Door to be opened in Rome was probably that of St. John Lateran in the year 1425, followed by that of St. Peter’s Basilica, which was opened probably by Sixtus IV in 1475,” highlighted Professor Francesco Buranelli.
EWTN Vatican Correspondent Magdalena Wolinska-Riedi had the privilege of exploring the hidden archives of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, nestled beneath the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica. There, she admired the only surviving iconographies from that era and accessed invaluable information on every Jubilee from 1500 to today.
Simona Turriziani is the Head of the Historical Archives of the Fabbrica di San Pietro in the Vatican. Turriziani pointed out, “Here is the first map depicting the Vatican area, featuring the ancient Circus of Nero. The obelisk stands here, along with the ancient sacristy of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. You can also see the layout of the old basilica, alongside the outlines of the new basilica that began to take shape in the early 1500s.”
In addition, the map details the ancient Holy Door, one of six doors of the Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter.
Pietro Zander noted, “You have to remember that it was not the present Basilica, but the ancient one and the portico. That sixth door, a little door used to be called the porta parvula, or the golden door, and that little door was used only for the Holy Year, so you would enter the northern aisle of the ancient Basilica.”
In 1500, Pope Alexander VI Borgia established that the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica would be the first to open, setting a lasting precedent for all others to follow.
Traditionally, each Holy Door remains sealed until the next Jubilee. The current bronze door, featuring two leaves, was added in the Holy Year of 1950 under Pope Paul VI. St. Peter’s Holy Door is perfectly aligned with the 1,700-year-old Constantinian Basilica, preserving its historic placement.
Following a centuries-old tradition, the four Holy Doors of Rome’s major basilicas are opened each Jubilee Year. This time, Pope Francis will personally open only one of these four—the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
However, fulfilling his long-held desire, he will also inaugurate a fifth, special Holy Door located inside a Roman prison, aiming to extend this sacred tradition to the entire world.
Fr. Lucio Boldrin is the Chaplain of the Rebibbia Prison. He explained, “Opening a Holy Door here in Rebibbia means opening a Holy Door in all the prisons of the world. Let us remember that this is not just for Italy; the Jubilee is on an international level, and so this celebration, this opening, becomes an effort to open a door and bring hope to millions of inmates.”
Focused since the very beginning of his pontificate on the weakest and the marginalized, Pope Francis desired to offer the prisoners in this way a concrete sign of closeness.
Teresa Mascolo is the Head of the Rebibbia Prison. She noted, “Pope Francis has the ability to reach everyone’s hearts in a very direct and authentic way, so it is a message of closeness, of love, solidarity, but also of understanding of what are the difficulties that characterize a confined community like the prison. And it is not by chance that this is the Jubilee of Hope.”
This Jubilee is designed to be a source of hope and strength, a ray of light for mankind in this world filled with suffering and wars.
Adapted by Jacob Stein
