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Holy Year is a year during which a solemn plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under certain conditions. Holy Years are ordinary when they occur at regular intervals (every 25 years in modern times) and extraordinary when they are proclaimed for some very special reason, such as the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016. An ordinary Holy Year begins on December 24, with first vespers of Christmas. On this day, the Holy Doors of the four basilicas are simultaneously opened. Conditions for the jubilee indulgence include confession made especially for gaining the jubilee indulgence; communion, and visits to the four major basilicas, for those who are in Rome, but elsewhere, to churches designated by the local ordinary. Each papal document of proclamation specifies the exact conditions of the jubilee. Local ordinaries receive faculties to dispense from these conditions all those who are unable to fulfill them. 
 
In preparation for Holy Year 2000, Vatican City issued a series of stamps in 1998, 1999 and 2000 to recognize the popes who celebrated past Holy Years. The 1999 issue consisted of 8 stamps that featured specific popes from 1300-1525 as well as 8 attached seals which depict their Coat of Arms. At the top of the stamps is the Holy Year and the pope who celebrated it. At the bottom of the stamp are the Papal Tiara and Crossed Keys and the stamp value. The Coat of Arms seal features the Holy Year, the pope's name before and after his election, and the years of his birth and death. The values of the stamps and the popes featured are as follows: 300 Lire - Julius III (Holy Year 1550), 600 Lire - Gregory XIII (1575), 800 Lire - Clement VIII (1600), 900 Lire - Urban VIII (1625), 1,000 Lire - Innocent X (1650), 1,300 Lire - Clement X (1675), 1,500 Lire - Innocent XII (1700), 2,000 Lire - Benedict XIII (1725). Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1065 - 1072M Date Issued - 23 March 1999 Face Value - £300 £600 £800 £900 £1000 £1300 £1500 £2000 Perforations - 13.75 Printing Process - offset (sheets of 5 stamps and 5 labels) Printer - Bundesdruckerei Gmbh (Germany) Max Printed - 450,000 |
| (Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 47 Issue: 6 Page: 10-11 CLICK HERE to view 'The Vatican Notes Article' |
