Asking the pope for extending Holy year to 2022?

[ivar]

..seems there is talk about asking for this... more here:

El Cabildo ve motivos para solicitar al papa una prórroga del AñoSanto

Santiago El Cabildo de la Catedral de Santiago ve en el momento actual motivos suficientes para solicitar aRoma una prórroga del Año Santo de 2021, te...

www.elcorreogallego.es

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Holy Year!

If there is a precedent: why not? Interesting.

 

[ivar]

If there is a precedent: why not? Interesting.

It seems holy year 1937 was extended to include 1938 due to the civil war..

 

[Kitsambler]

To me, Pope Francis has always appeared to be a very wise man. I'm hopeful he will do something. At this point, even the churches are not open. It's hard to imagine how contagious a full-on pilgrimage year might be. ::shudder::

 

[JabbaPapa]

There is a far more recent precedent, as the Holy Year of Mercy was extended for a short time beyond its original end date.

 

[David with new Kit!]

An interesting question for interesting times

 

[Bala]

There is a far more recent precedent, as the Holy Year of Mercy was extended for a short time beyond its original end date.

And also in that the Holy Year of Mercy was simply declared by the Pope, as he felt the world needed it. And it was extended to the whole world. I hadn't thought about this before, but maybe he will declare a Holy Year for the World when this is over, or even while it's ongoing. The graces offered by the Church during a Holy Year are extended to those who are unable to enter a designed church for specified reasons, illness being chief among them. So a year of prayer in the time of pandemic would certainly seem possible. At least I think so. But he doesn't confer with me.

 

[GraemeHall]

None of my business I expect, but my understanding is that a Santiago Holy Year is a year when 25 July falls on Sunday. Would His Holiness have to vary the 2022 calendar to make that happen again in that year?

 

[Kathor1]

None of my business I expect, but my understanding is that a Santiago Holy Year is a year when 25 July falls on Sunday. Would His Holiness have to vary the 2022 calendar to make that happen again in that year?

The Pope can declare a Holy Year and the conditions for a Holy Year any time and any way he likes - and does so all the time, there are several threads on the forum that mention this.

It's been like this since about the year 1300 if I remember correctly when the idea of a Holy Year was conceived for the first time, for pilgrims to Rome. In short, a Santiago Holy Year is traditionally whenever the 25th of July is a Sunday but that doesn't mean that it cannot be in any other year, too.

I am confident that it will not stop many pilgrims from travelling to Santiago ... I'm not going because the 25th is on a Monday? Nope, I can't hear many people saying that. ☺

 

[lt56ny]

As a non Catholic but someone who loves our Cathedral and it's traditions and history, I think the Pope should make every year a holy Camino year.

 

[sillydoll]

None of my business I expect, but my understanding is that a Santiago Holy Year is a year when 25 July falls on Sunday. Would His Holiness have to vary the 2022 calendar to make that happen again in that year?

The 2021 Holy Year will be extended, so it will last for 2 years to give all Catholics an opportunity to receive the plenary indulgence. This has happened twice - during the Civil war and in 1885 1886 to celebrate the discovery of the remains of Sant Iago after they had been lost for over 300 years.

 

[CMD]

As a non Catholic but someone who loves our Cathedral and it's traditions and history, I think the Pope should make every year a holy Camino year.

But then A HolyYear would not seem special!!!!

 

[sillydoll]

If pilgrims of old returned to Santiago they would be surprised to find that the Holy Years are celebrated on 25 July because they used to celebrate in mid-winter.

In the early Middle Ages the 30 December was St James’ feast day, based on the old Hispanic (Mozarabic) rite.
In the 11th century King Alfonso VI abolished the Hispanic rite in favour of the Roman rite and 25 July became the principal feast day to commemorate the martyrdom of St James. The 30 December was incorporated into the present liturgical calendar as the Feast of the Translation of his relics.

And, just to confuse matters further, although we celebrate his feast day on 25 July using the Roman Rite calendar, it was formerly on 5 August on the Tridentine Rite calendar.

 

[PilgrimJames]

In my humble opinion the Cathedral will request the extension and the Pope will grant it for 2021-2022. No panic, we will get there, and maybe the crowds will experience a different Holy Year, but that's OK too. Prayers for all our albergues and people of Spain. They must recover and let's hope that will be soon.

 

[Canche]

..seems there is talk about asking for this... more here:

El Cabildo ve motivos para solicitar al papa una prórroga del AñoSanto

Santiago El Cabildo de la Catedral de Santiago ve en el momento actual motivos suficientes para solicitar aRoma una prórroga del Año Santo de 2021, te...

www.elcorreogallego.es

I think it is an excellent idea. 2021 is too soon after this pandemic. And as someone else said Pope Francis is a wise, and sometimes very practical person.

 

[lt56ny]

But then A HolyYear would not seem special!!!!

Special is what is between your ears and especially in your heart. You may be right but for my money it is special every year I walk.

 

[trecile]

Does anyone have an update about this?

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

As a non Catholic but someone who loves our Cathedral and it's traditions and history, I think the Pope should make every year a holy Camino year.

If I ate Ice Cream every night, every day, eventually Ice Cream would not be special to me any longer.... I like your idea but not sure I like that it would "water down" a Holy Year.

 

[Canche]

Not yet but I sure do hope he does. He seems to be a reasonable person. For those who pray, we should probably pray for it.

I think it is an excellent idea. 2021 is too soon after this pandemic. And as someone else said Pope Francis is a wise, and sometimes very practical person.

 

[Canche]

I don't think it would be watered down

 

[trecile]

Not being religious the only reason why I want to know about Holy Year status is to try to understand what the number of pilgrims on the Camino might be like in the next couple of years.

 

[Canche]

During Holy Years I have heard that it is packed.

 

[trecile]

During Holy Years I have heard that it is packed.

Yes, but next year is going to be much different depending on what happens with Coronavirus. People may still stay away for a number of reasons, or there may be more pilgrims because of pent up demand. I won't make a decision on a 2021 Camino until next Spring or later.

 

[Canche]

Yes, but next year is going to be much different depending on what happens with Coronavirus. People may still stay away for a number of reasons, or there may be more pilgrims because of pent up demand. I won't make a decision on a 2021 Camino until next Spring or later.

I am sure it will be much different. You right that some people will still stay away. Also many albergues are closing and may lose so much money that they may not be able to reopen. Very, very sad. I believe Ivar knows how to contribute to the algergues that are in need.

 

[Kathor1]

@trecile, as far as I can make out, nothing has been decided yet about the Holy Year, i.e. whether the Puerta Santa will stay open beyond 31 December 2021 and all that this would entail. Again, as far as I can make out, no petition has been formulated by the Santiago Cathedral let alone submitted to the Vatican to obtain the Pope's authorisation. I guess there is no urgency for all this right now.

What has been decided, however, is that the tax benefits for those who collaborate with Xacobeo will be extended until 2022. Xacobeo are all the programs and the promotional actions that Galicia and Galician enterprises pursue in parallel to a Holy Year, see here or look for Xacobeo in Google News during the most recent three or four days. And the Holy Year of 2027 is also already in sight of the planners ...

 

[Canche]

It is my understanding that a formal request has been made to the Vatican

 

[Canche]

I just checked one of Ivar's links to a Spanish newspaper dated May 17th that the Council of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela agrees there is reason to ask the Pope to postpone the Holy Year to 2022 and keep the Puerta Santa open so pilgrims can obtain plenary indulgences

 

[trecile]

I believe Ivar knows how to contribute to the algergues that are in need.

Yes, he has created a sub forum for that

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/categories/help-a-camino-business-in-these-covid-19-times.210/

 

[Kathor1]

I just checked one of Ivar's links to a Spanish newspaper dated May 17th that the Council of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela agrees there is reason to ask the Pope to postpone the Holy Year to 2022 and keep the Puerta Santa open so pilgrims can obtain plenary indulgences

I can't find anything as recent as 17 May - and I had looked carefully at the dates ☺. Nearly all the news articles are about one month old, and the one from 19 April says in particular that the unnamed Cathedral sources emphasise that es una medida que se debe estudiar con profundidad, prudencia y adoptar llegado el momento - (requesting an extension) is an option that must be studied in depth and prudently and be taken when the time is right.

 

[Canche]

I'll try to send the link

 

[Canche]

I can't find anything as recent as 17 May - and I had looked carefully at the dates ☺. Nearly all the news articles are about one month old, and the one from 19 April says in particular that the unnamed Cathedral sources emphasise that es una medida que se debe estudiar con profundidad, prudencia y adoptar llegado el momento - (requesting an extension) is an option that must be studied in depth and prudently and be taken when the time is right.

It's at the top of this forum on Ivar's post . El Correo Gallego. https://www.elcorreogallego.es/heme...solicitar-papa-prorroga-ano-santo-FMCG1242052

 

[Kathor1]

It's at the top of this forum on Ivar's post . El Correo Gallego. https://www.elcorreogallego.es/heme...solicitar-papa-prorroga-ano-santo-FMCG1242052

Yes, this article is dated 19 April 2020, 00:57. What you see at the top of the page - Actualizado domingo, 17 mayo 2020 23:00 - is the current date and time. It changes continuously.

 

[lt56ny]

If I ate Ice Cream every night, every day, eventually Ice Cream would not be special to me any longer.... I like your idea but not sure I like that it would "water down" a Holy Year.

See that is what makes the world go round. I have for long stretches had some ice cream every day and I never, ever, ever get tired of it! It is all how you look at it I guess. For me every Camino I walk is special and I am sure for you too. I have never walked in a holy year. I am also not Catholic and am not big on religion in general but our church is very special to me. I do not know and maybe you do that besides the larger number of pilgrims walking, especially on the CF during a holy year, how is it different? Are there more festivals, more symbols and signs that it is a holy year? Or do you only really experience a difference it if you go to churches on the Camino? I am sure in Santiago it is a much different experience during holy year. Would like ask more questions but I am going to have a small bowl of ice cream now!!!!

 

[JabbaPapa]

There's an update to this story :

Xunta e Iglesia planean prorrogar el jubileo hasta el 25 de julio de 2022

Las conversaciones entre la Xunta y el Arzobispado de Santiago sobre la posible prórroga del Año Santo de 2021 son fluidas desde hace semanas, tal y c...

www.elcorreogallego.es

"Aunque de momento no se hará ningún anuncio oficial, fuentes solventes de la Catedral compostelana aseguran que el arzobispo “recibió con buenos ojos la petición que le ha llegado del presidente Feijóo”; y que ambos estarían estudiando “la posibilidad de que el periodo jubilar se extienda hasta el 25 de julio de 2022”, solemnidad del Apóstol Santiago, cuando se aprovecharía la ceremonia de la Ofrenda Nacional para clausurar el Año Santo y cerrar la Puerta Santa. Siempre que el papa conceda esta gracia."

So, even though there's no certainty as it would require Papal permission, the current plan would be to open the Holy Year on 31st December 2020 as normal ; but then extend it to 25th July 2022, St James' Day.

 

[Canche]

To me, Pope Francis has always appeared to be a very wise man. I'm hopeful he will do something. At this point, even the churches are not open. It's hard to imagine how contagious a full-on pilgrimage year might be. ::shudder::

I agree. Pope Francis does seem to be a very wise man and I trust he will do the right thing.

 

[Kathor1]

The situation concerning a possible extension of the Holy Year 2021 until July 2022 is unchanged: the mayor of the city of Santiago and the president of the regional government of Galicia are pushing for it while the archbishop refuses to commit himself to actually sending a petition to the Pope and asking for it. Such a request is expected to be granted. "A Jacobean Holy year is not just any event, not a congress that can be postponed", he said. The only thing that can be confirmed is the official start of the Holy Year on 31 December 2020 with the opening of the Holy Door at the cathedral.

Recuerda el arzobispo que el Xacobeo “no es un congreso y que no se puede aplazar”, El Correo Gallego, 24 September 2020.

 

[Canche]

Thank you for the update. Sorry to hear they are not moving forward with requesting the postponement

 

[JabbaPapa]

Thank you for the update. Sorry to hear they are not moving forward with requesting the postponement

I'm not sure that you fully appreciate the sense of the Bishop's statement on this question -- we Catholics do sometimes think in ways that are not self-evident.

From that perspective, there's actually no real rush to request such an extension, as such a request could be made as late as October or November next year if it should be deemed appropriate.

And the Bishop is right -- religious matters are not subjected to worldly questions of viral epidemics nor tourism etc.

 

[Canche]

I am a Catholic and do appreciate the sense of the Bishop's statement. However, as far as religious matters not being subjected to worldly questions, then why did they postpone the Holy Year during the time of the civil war? That certainly was worldly. And this pandemic is not a question of tourism, but of safety for human kind. It is a matter of life and death. I think Pope Francis would agree. He is a reasonable man.

 

[Lexicos]

Every year is a holy year ....... in my humble opinion.

 

[Canche]

And that is true, too. Just like Thanksgiving. Every day is Thanksgiving.

 

[Robo]

I was hoping to walk in 2022. to miss the crowds of 2021 Holy Year.

But I'm sure it will be a positive move for many if it is extended

 

[Marbe2]

Thanks for posting this article Ivar.

 

[Kathor1]

However, as far as religious matters not being subjected to worldly questions, then why did they postpone the Holy Year during the time of the civil war? That certainly was worldly

It was apparently very worldly indeed and not a good precedent for today.

Like many others, I thought that the changes to the timing and duration of the Holy Year during the Spanish civil war were made because of concern for those who travel to Santiago in dangerous circumstances, i.e. danger to their health and their lives. I am not so certain of that any longer. A quote from SER, the Spanish radio network:

At SER, we have spoken with Lourenzo Fernández Prieto, professor of contemporary history at University of Santiago de Compostela, who warns that the past is loaded with meaning and that you have to be careful with the references you choose.​

​

In his opinion, the historical reference is not the most appropriate. “In 1937, the Holy Year was prolonged at the request of the caudillo [Franco] at a time when he commanded more political and military power than the Church, because 1937 was his first triumphal year, and 1938 his second year. I think that this reference by Feijoo [president of Galicia] to the Civil War is not going to please the Compostela Church at all“.​

​

I had not been aware of this historical background at all. It's worth knowing, imho. You may also want to read for example Politicization and Desacralization of the Cult of the Apostle Santiago in Spain (1936-1943).

In any case, it looks like the Holy Year 2021 will start as planned on 31 December 2020 with the opening of the Holy Door. And so far, the Compostela archbishop has refrained from making a move to have the Holy Year 2021 extended into 2022. For this to happen, he would have to make a formal petition to the Pope.

 

[4 Eyes]

It is extended through 2022.