The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
CHURCH JUBILEE YEARS
A Remand Catholic Quarter-of-a-Cen.
fury Festival.
Opening nnd Closing of the Holy
Door of st. Peter's-Impesing Re-
iigious Ceremonies Instituted six
Hundred Years Ago-Customs Dat
ing From the Reign of Paul III.

Most persons, irrespective OF creed, are
doubtless aware of the fact that the clos
ing year of the nineteenth century was
the occasion of a Papal jubilee festival
in the Roman Catholic Church. The jubi-
lee year occurs at intervals of twenty five
years, and upon the election of a new
Pope The first jubilee. of which ment gu
is made in the "Divina Comeda' of
Dante. occurred in the year 1900, so that
the celebration has been in vogue Just
600 years. The ordinary jubilee was at
first held only every centennial year; the
interval was then changed to fifty years,
and finally to twenty-five years, the lat
ter dating from the reign of Pope Paul
III, in 1870.
Among the many ceremonies which
mark the jubilee said a gentleman in
this city, lately returned from Rome,
none is more impressive than the OBJ n
ing and closing of the Holy Door at st.
Peters. The ceremony of the opening
was witnessed at the commencement of
the year 1900, and the closing took pace
on Christmas Eve. Owing 10 the delicate
state of the Pope's health, the building
in which the opening and closing cerem1-
MES took place had been heated to the
temperature of the Pontif's private
apartments. to avoid any possibility of
His Holiness taking a chill
THE cermony of opening the Holy Door
has symbolical meaning, to the effect
that the church Is open to all men so
long as they go there after a thorough
and sincere conversion.
The Pope, on opening the door, gives
three knocks, representing the three con-
tlnents-Europe, Asia, and Africa-to
which the Sovereign Pontiff solemnly Of
fers the treasures which are given into
his hands for disposal among the faithful
The three strokes have also been looked
upon as typifying the joy that is particle
pated in, during the Jubilee by the faith
full on earth, and the souls in Heaven and
purgatory. The Pope, who is seated on
raised throne in front OF the large door
in the middle of the grand portico, re-
mains stationary for brief while, until
the Prince of the Throne presents a COL
den hammer to His Holiness which the
latter takes in his right hand, and rising
from the throne goes and knocks at the
Holy Door. His clergy follow him, each
with candle in his hand. After knock
ing three times at the sacred portal, His
Holiness exclaims in Latin: open to me
these doors of justice,H Then the choir
adds, This is the door of the Eternal
the conclusion of these ceremonies nasons
knock down the wall which incloses the
Holy Door the wall being so lightly built.
however, that its four sides are held to-
gether but slightly. the stones of which
it is composed not being cemented. Thus,
no sooner has the Pope knocked at the
Holy Door than it falls without any as
sistance. The debris of the wall is dis
tributed among the worshipers, who has
tn her in tn ~
cious relics.
While the masons execute their brief
labor the Pope reseats himself upon the
throne. When the demolition is COM
pleted, the penitentairies of st. Peter
take their brooms, clean the floor, re-
move the pieces of brick and mortar from
the passage-these being regarded as far
from rubbish since relics are to be made
of them-and wash the holdings and
all round the door with holy water. This
being finished. His Holiness once more
descends from his throne, singing the an
them which opens with the words: "doec |
dies guam fecit Dominus." etc, the choir !
accompanying him Arriving at the Ho1y |
Door the Pope recites prayers takes the |
cross, kneels before the door intones |
the TIE Deum," and rising again, passes
through the same portal, followed by the
clergy. An immense crowd attended this
Csi euioHS' as every one WHO can goes IN
10 St Peters to witness this superb en-
blematical expression of faith and to
AXE part in the vespers in the Papal
Chapel At the conclusion of vespers,
he Cardinals take OFF their vestments
md put on their red caps, accompanying
he Pope to the door of his private apart
nents, and then retire.
After mass, on Christmas morning, His
Holiness went TO the lodge OF the Benedic-
ion, where he blessed the faithful in the
0rm which is only used on the occasion
II the jubilee The closing Of the door
vas n very similar one to the opening The
'reatest solemnity prevailed, and many
of privileged pilgrims flocked to
he great Basilica TO be witnesses of q
pectacle Of such rare occurrence and i'm
rossive grandeur. His Holiness laid the
rst brick for the closing of the door, all
ne cardinals, monsignOrs, and other dig
itaries in Rome being witnesses of the
peraton. The bricks used for this pur-
ose are about double the ordinary size, |
eing covered with a thin layer of plate
4 some cases of silver and in others OF
old Upon them is to be read in relief
n addition to the Papal arms the inscrp-
ion: Leo Kill Pont. Max. Aperuit ct
lausit' "