Home
On May 26, 1949, Pope Pius XII proclaimed a Holy Year of Jubilee to begin on December 24, 1949, and extend until December 24, 1950. This was the twenty-fifth Jubilee since the first proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300. The intentions of the Jubilee as mentioned by the Holy Father were: 1. The sanctification of souls through prayer, penance and loyalty to Christ and Church. 2. Activity for peace and the protection of holy places. 3. Defense of the Church against renewed attacks on her enemies, and prayers for the true Faith fos those in error and the godless. 4. The realization of social justice and works of charity for the lowly and needy. To obtain the special Holy Year Indulgence the pilgrim was to go to Confession and Holy Communion, visit the four major basilicas of Rome at least once, and to pray for the Pope's intentions. To publicize this special Jubilee, a set of eight stamps was issued on December 21, 1949. There were four major designs common to two values. The 5 and 6 lire stamps reproduce a particular from the mural painting by Pietro Vannucci in the Sistine Chapel. It represents Christ giving the Keys to St. Peter, the first Pope. This presen-tation of the Keys to Heaven represents the power of the Pope to grant special indulgences for the Holy Year, among other things. The 6 and 25 lire values depicts the four major basilicas of Rome, St. Paul outside-the-walls, St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran, (within the walls on the stamp) and St. Peter's in the Vatican. The special Holy Year Indulgence can be gained each time the pilgrim visits each of these basilicas once and recites the "Our Father," "Hail Mary," and the "Glory be to the Father" three times. They then must repeat each of these prayers once more for the intentions of the Holy Father, as well as the Creed. These are the only obligatory prayers stipulated in the Papal Bull promulgating the Holy Year. The 8 and 30 lire denominations reproduce a painting found on the first pilaster of the right aisle of the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The painting depicts Pope Boniface promulgating the first Holy Year of Jubilee in the year 1300. Toward the end of the century many pilgrims, under the impression that the Pope granted a special indulgence every hundred years, assembled in Rome from all parts of Europe. This caught Pope Boniface by surprise. After searching the record he found no proof of this belief. Nevertheless he would not disappoint the faithful, and he decreed that the fullest pardon for all sins would be granted to those who visited the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul. They must be fully penitent and confess their sins. This was not only decreed for the year 1300, but for each succeeding century. As time went on, the reigning Pontiffs shortened this period of waiting to fifty years and still later to every twenty-five years. The opening of the Holy Door is depicted on the 10 and 60 lire stamps. Each of the four major basilicas has a Holy Door. Two weeks before the Jubilee begins, the Pope appoints Cardinal Legates to open these Holy Doors; the Cardinal Deacon presides at the cere-monies in St. Paul's, while the Cardinal Archpriests of St. John Lateran's and St. Mary Major's open the Door in their respective churches. The opening of these Holy Doors commences on December 21st, followed by the opening of the others on December 22nd and 23rd. On December 24th, the Holy Father officially opens the Holy Door of St. Peter's to begin the Jubilee. Christmas Eve is chosen as the beginning of the Holy Year because the coming of Christ on that day signified the Gates of Heaven were opening for all who died in the state of grace. |
| (National Philatelic Museum, Volume VII, Number 1, 1954, pages 61-107) We are grateful to the Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum for allowing the Vatican Philatelic Society to use the copyrighted text on our website. |
