The Jubilee is called the Holy Year because it is a time when we can experience how the holiness of God transforms us.
The name “Jubilee” his thought to derive from the instrument used to announce its beginning: the yobel, a ram’s horn whose sound announces the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Jubilee is already found as a concept in the Bible, where it is said that it should be proclaimed every 50 years, representing the additional year to be experienced every ‘seven weeks of years’ (cf. Lev 25:8-13). Its purpose was to restore the rightful relationship with God, among people, and with creation. It included the remission of debts, the return of land, and the rest of the soil.
The first Jubilee was proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300. Over time, the frequency of the Jubilee has changed: initially it was every 100 years, then reduced to 50 in 1343, and, finally, to 25 years in 1470.
The way the Holy Year is celebrated has also changed: originally it coincided with a visit to the Roman Basilicas of St. Peter and of St. Paul, later a pilgrimage was added along with new symbols such as the Holy Door.
The Holy Door is opened by the Pope at the beginning of the Jubilee year and symbolically represents the threshold to be crossed, as suggested by the words of the Gospel according to John: “I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he will be saved; he will come in and go out and find pasture.” Thus, the act of crossing represents the believer’s decision to be guided by Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
