{"id":1352,"date":"2021-08-13T04:37:25","date_gmt":"2021-08-13T09:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/?p=1352"},"modified":"2021-08-13T10:20:38","modified_gmt":"2021-08-13T15:20:38","slug":"jacobean-holy-year-jubilee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/jacobean-holy-year-jubilee\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacobean holy year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Jacobean holy year is a key event<\/strong> of the Jacobean traditions. Pilgrims await it with impatience and it’s always celebrated in pomp and circumstance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why, how?<\/strong> This post tells you everything about it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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In this post:<\/span>
Jacobean holy year in a nutshell<\/a>
Ok. But really, what<\/em> is a “holy year”?<\/a>
A short history<\/a>
Celebrations on schedule<\/a>
Catholic traditions<\/a>
Non-religious perspectives<\/a>
Holy years and the Camino<\/a>
Holy years… away from Santiago!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Official poster of the diocese of Santiago for the holy year 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jacobean holy year in a nutshell<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just like the pilgrimage to Santiago, the Jacobean holy year as a religious origin<\/strong>. It’s an extraordinary Catholic celebration, fully dedicated to Saint James the Great<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christian Calendar of saints celebrates Saint James on Jul 25<\/strong> of each year. In ordinary years, this celebration is… ordinary! When this date falls on a Sunday<\/strong> however, this day and the whole year become a special event: it’s a holy year!<\/strong>
The event is especially meaningful for Catholics<\/strong> but, over the past decades, holy years have become a non-religious celebration too<\/strong>. Everyone celebrates them nowadays, believers and non-believers alike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heart of the celebrations take place in the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela<\/strong> but the event is also celebrated across Spain, whose patron saint<\/strong> is Saint James.
Thanks to the influence of the cult to Saint James and his pilgrimage, the Jacobean holy years aren’t just limited to Santiago<\/strong>, or even to Spain! They are celebrated all along the Caminos<\/strong> and even outside of Europe<\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ok. But really, what<\/em> is a “holy year”?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well indeed… Even with this short presentation you still don’t know exactly what holy years are! Let’s get into more details about them and what they mean. And yes, “them”, because there are several types of holy years!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Holy years, definitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also called Jubilee<\/em><\/strong>
For the Roman Catholic Church, a holy year (or jubilee year), is a special time of remission<\/strong> during which sins are forgiven. Inspired by Jewish traditions, it is an invitation for all believers to reaffirm their faith, strengthen their spiritual practices and perform various rituals to be granted special graces called plenary indulgences<\/strong>. (Called what? We’ll see that in a bit \ud83d\ude09 )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For now, note that there are several types of holy years:
\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f Regular holy years<\/strong>, the first one that came to be. They are celebrated in Rome since the year 1300 and happen… regularly (surprising!), every 25 years. The last one was the Great Jubilee of 2000, the next one will be in 2025.
\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f Extraordinary holy years<\/strong> are decided and proclaimed by the popes to celebrate a special occasion. They are traditionally held in Rome. The last to date was the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, announced by pope Francis for 2016 (and, exception to the rule, the event took place all around the globe, including in Santiago<\/a>!)
\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f Holy years in perpetuum<\/em><\/strong> (in perpetuity): those are the ones we’re interested in! They are tied to specific places that received an “eternal” authorization from the pope to celebrate “their” holy year regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Indulgences and plenary indulgences, definitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the Roman Catholic Church (again!), an indulgence is a practice related to the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins<\/strong>.
According to this teaching, a sin has an effect that is both spiritual (on the soul) and temporal (worldly)<\/strong>. To be fully forgiven, sinners need to cleanse both of those planes. The Sacrament of Confession allows sins to be forgiven on the spiritual plane; indulgences allow sins to be forgiven on the temporal plane<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In practice, an indulgence is “a piece” of forgiveness one gains in exchange for an act of devotion<\/strong> (prayer, reading the Bible, pilgrimage, blessing, etc). The ritual is not chosen by the sinner but by a qualified representative of the Church. Several rituals can be prescribed to gain one indulgence.
An indulgence can be partial<\/strong>, if it erases the sin partially; or plenary<\/strong> if it erases it completely. Holy years allow believers to receive a plenary indulgence<\/strong> after completion of specific rituals. It’s not the only way to gain such an indulgence but it’s the one we’re interested in here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jacobean Holy Years<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Jacobean holy year has many names. It can be called a Jacobean year or a Jacobean Jubilee year<\/em><\/strong>.
In Spanish, they are called A\u00f1o Santo, A\u00f1o Jacobeo<\/em>, A\u00f1o Santo Jacobeo<\/em>, A\u00f1o Jubil<\/em>ar Jacobeo<\/em> or Jubileo Jacobeo<\/em><\/strong>
In Galicia, you will almost exclusively see its Galician version: Ano Santo<\/em> Xacobeo, Ano Xacobeo<\/em> or Xubileo Xacobeo<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the definitions we just discussed, we are now prepared to understand what a “holy year” really means!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jacobean holy year is a holy year in perpetuum<\/em> tied to Saint James and its sanctuary<\/strong>, that allows believers to gain a plenary indulgence<\/strong> if they complete some rituals. The importance of the Jacobean cult in Santiago and in Spain (and across Europe as well!) led the popes to grant the Church of Santiago to celebrate “its own” holy year, regularly and for all eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So! Let’s get into the details of those years that are so exceptional<\/strong> for Santiago, the Camino… and pilgrims!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A short history of the holy years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The history of the sanctuary is pretty epic, full of tricks and surprising arrangements<\/strong>… The origins of the Jacobean holy years is no exception! There’s no time to get into too much details, but let’s still have a quick look at History.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some unknown and convenient origins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s a fact, we don’t know exactly when the first holy year took place<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never mind that! The Middle-Age naturally* doctors us “proves” of their legitimacy!
The papal bull Regis Aeterni<\/em> issued in 1179 by Alexander III<\/strong> names Callixtus II** as the one who initiated the first holy years, thereby dating them around 1120<\/strong>. The text officially concedes Santiago the privilege to celebrate its jubilee and to grant plenary indulgences, just like the Roman jubilee… who only came to be in 1300!
For a long time already, historians have thus come to agree that this bull is an anonymous* fake<\/strong>, written sometime between the mid-14th and beginning of the 16th centuries. No offense to media and institutions that continue to quote this document as the primary source of the Jacobean jubilees; among which… the archdiocese of Santiago!
(*) In the Middle Ages, dating a document to an earlier time and\/or signing it in the name of an important person is a common practice. It was done to increase the prestige of the document<\/span><\/em>
(**) Callixtus II, pope from 1119 to 1124 and key actor in the early rise of Santiago’s sanctuary<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fake bull Regis Aeterni<\/em>, xacopedia.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Another theory<\/strong> by some historians suggest 1322<\/strong> as the date of the first jubilee.
That year and after 4 years fighting against Galician aristocracy who rejected him, Santiago’s archbishop Berengar of Landorra<\/strong><\/strong> finally settles in the city. He celebrates his first Solemn Mass and decide that Saint Jame’s Day “will be good for everyone”…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rise and fall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first documented reference<\/strong> to a Jacobean holy year dates back to 1434<\/strong>, although various historical documents hint that exceptional liturgical celebrations where held in Santiago before. That year anyways, King John II of Castile decreed a safe conduct<\/strong> for pilgrims coming from beyond the Pyrenees, to allow them to safely complete their pilgrimages to Santiago and gain their indulgences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacobean holy years continue to be celebrated and are mentioned here and there during the following year. They are popular all long the 15th and 16th centuries<\/strong>. The various social and ideological upheavals of those times have little effect on the popularity of the sanctuary… even less so on holy years! The jubilee of 1665 is sometimes described as the height of the pilgrimage<\/strong> to Santiago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cantigas de Santa Mar\u00eda 159<\/em>, 13rd century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile
(a perfect picture for my paragraph… but depicting Rocamadour, a French sanctuary associated with the French Camino of Le Puy! \ud83d\ude09 )<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Nothing lasts though… Santiago starts its fall from the mid-17th century<\/strong> and continues its descent all along the 18th century. The practice of pilgrimage slowly declines while pilgrims are less and less well-though-of across Europe. In spite of that, Jacobean pilgrimages continue to have some success<\/strong> during that period of time…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 19th century brought the final blow to Santiago<\/strong>: pilgrims are rare, the sanctuary has fallen into disuse… The jubilee of 1813<\/strong> shows evidence of the pilgrimage’s standstill at the time, with no pilgrim<\/strong> registered that year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rebirth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In this gloomy context, the end of the 19th century brings along quite a turn of events<\/strong>.
In 1879, Saint James’ relics (lost in the 16th century) are found following excavations in the cathedral. Once authenticated, pope Leon XIII<\/strong> confirmed the discovery with the papal bull Deus Omnipotent<\/em>, published in 1884<\/strong>. It officially recognizes the Jacobean tradition and cult in Galicia and declares an exceptional jubilee in 1885<\/strong> to celebrate the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bull doesn’t have an immediate effect but from this moment on, the revival of the sanctuary is underway. Santiago slowly rises again over the next decades, starting in Spain. 1909 is a noticeable holy year<\/strong>: Alfonso XIII becomes the first Spanish king to visit the sanctuary in person and pay tribute to Saint James.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alfonso XIII in Santiago, Mundo Grafico<\/em> 1927, Biblioteca Nacional de Espana
(another perfect picture… although your sharp eyes noticed it of course: 1927 isn’t a holy year! \ud83d\ude09 )<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Another noticeable holy years: 1937, extended by the extraordinary jubilee of 1938<\/strong> by pope Pius XI because of the Spanish civil war. Those 2 holy years are widely used by the Nationalists to serve their interests but major modern Jacobean tradition are also (re)introduced in Spain. Santiago becomes once again the country’s patron saint, his “national offering” is reinstated, July 25 becomes a national holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to wait for the second half of the 20th century<\/strong> for the pilgrimage to become an international event<\/strong>, helped by the reopening of Spain’s border. People’s passion for the pilgrimage keeps growing, helped in parts by the increasing efforts put into the advertisement of those holy years.
The jubilee of 1982<\/strong> is another milestone in the sanctuary’s revival. Pope John Paul II<\/strong> visits the city as a pilgrim and calls Europe to come to Santiago. The Camino also gains one of its most famous symbols, with the first yellow arrows marking the way…
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John Paul II in Santiago, xacopedia.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A new golden era<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the 1990s and on<\/strong>, Santiago is only growing in fame and popularity. The holy year of 1993 is the first of a series of jubilees, each more successful and with a greater international influence than the previous one<\/strong>.
The pilgrimage to Santiago becomes organized and looks more and more like the one we know today. The amount of pilgrims grows exponentially, with greater numbers registered during the holy years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2010, was the last Jacobean year… 11 years to wait for 2021!
Photo: Alquiler de Coches in Flickr<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

11 long years pass after the Jubilee of 2010… What a long time to wait! The Jacobean community awaited 2021<\/strong> to celebrate that holy year in pomp and circumstance and the expectation to break new records with a great number of pilgrims coming from the whole world. Everything and everyone was about ready when surprise, surprise! An undesirable guest crashed the party…
2021, a “failed” jubilee<\/strong> due to the pandemic. But the reason for a new exceptional extension of a holy year, granted by pope Francis<\/strong>: otherwise a normal year, 2022 has become a Jacobean holy year as well<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next Jacobean jubilee will be 2027<\/strong>… history is still to be written!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Celebrations on schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Holy years happen when July 25, Saint James’ Day, falls a Sunday<\/strong>. Our calender is cyclic, making it possible to calculate<\/strong> which years were\/will be Jacobean years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 25th of July is a Sunday 4 times per periods of 28 years<\/strong> and are celebrated every 6, 5, 6 and 11 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the Jacobean holy years of the 20th and 21st centuries<\/strong>:
20th<\/strong>: 1909, 1915, 1920, 1926, 1937-1938<\/span>, 1943, 1948, 1954, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1993, 1999
21st<\/strong>: 2004, 2010, 2021-2022<\/span>,<\/span> 2027, 2032, 2038, 2049, 2055, 2060, 2066, 2077, 2083, 2088, 2094<\/span>
The exceptional holy years are underlined; the next ones to come are in gray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Catholic traditions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Holy years are rooted in the Catholic faith and traditions<\/strong> and remain essentially a religious celebration<\/strong> until today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Organization, communication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No way to let anything to chance: the archdiocese of Santiago prepares the event a long time in advance. Let’s see what happened for the holy year of 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Website<\/span><\/strong>
A website was created: A\u00f1o Santo Compostelano<\/strong><\/a>. It gathers all the information<\/strong> related to the holy year. Agenda, news, testimonies, useful info… everything’s there, and in several languages!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A\u00f1o Santo Compostelano<\/a>, Santiago’s archdiocese’s website dedicated to the jubilee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Pastoral letters<\/span><\/strong>
Santiago’s archbishop Mgr. Juli\u00e1n Barrio shared a pastoral letter to call believers to celebrate the jubilee<\/strong> and to encourage them to go on a pilgrimage to the sanctuary. Considering how things turned out in 2020, it was completed by an appendix to help pilgrims to be patient<\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pastoral letter<\/a>Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Appendix<\/a>Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Motto, logo and poster<\/span><\/strong>
The jubilee has its motto<\/strong>, Sae da t\u00faa terra. O Ap\u00f3stolo esp\u00e9rate<\/em> (or in Spanish: Sal de tu tierra, el Apostol te espera<\/em>; Leave your Land. The Apostle awaits you)
It also has its logo<\/strong>, each part of it having a specific meaning. It’s blue and white, made by the outlines of a half scallop with radiation lines within and half a cross of Santiago with the mention Xacobeo 2021<\/em> on its side. The whole creates a medallion, surrounded by another mention, Ano santo compostel\u00e1no 2021<\/strong>.
Finally, the holy year also has its poster<\/strong>. It represents the Gate of Glory that has just been renovated, as well as the motto and logo of the jubilee. The design is used on the memorial credential, created for the jubilee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The poster of the jubilee, with its motto and logo, in the bottom right-hand corner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Opening of the holy years<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They are opened at the Santiago cathedral on the 31st of December of the previous year<\/strong>, at a ceremony that gathers members of the Church, of the governments and of important people but also some pilgrims and believers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony starts with a civil ceremony: the reception of dignitaries<\/strong> who will attend the opening and a military inspection<\/strong> at the Obradoiro square. They then enter the cathedral and join the clergy to get ready to start the liturgical part of the ceremony.
The whole procession goes to the Quintana square. After the reception, some speeches and readings from the Bible<\/strong>, the archbishop open the holy door and enter the cathedral<\/strong>, followed by the procession. The ceremony then continues and ends by a High Mass that includes the botafumeiro<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check this page<\/a> to relive the opening ceremony of the holy year of 2021!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Santiago cathedral<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Opening of the holy door<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s the highlight<\/strong> of the opening ceremony of the jubilee! It’s defined by a whole protocol:<\/p>\n\n\n\n