2021 Holy Year - cathedral official website, logo and poster

[Bradypus]

At a press event in Santiago yesterday the Archbishop revealed the cathedral's new dedicated website for the 2021 Holy Year. Amongst other things it includes a long pastoral letter from the Archbishop. He also published the official logo and poster for the Holy Year.

Año Santo Compostelano | Archidiócesis de Santiago de Compostela

anosantocompostelano.org

 

[Kathar1na]

the cathedral's new dedicated website for the 2021 Holy Year.

Año Santo Compostelano | Archidiócesis de Santiago de Compostela

anosantocompostelano.org

Let's threaddrift right away ☺. When I opened the webpage, I noticed for the first time ever the animal head on the Apostle's staff. What is it and does it have a special meaning?

 

[SabsP]

Let's threaddrift right away ☺. When I opened the webpage, I noticed for the first time ever the animal head on the Apostle's staff. What is it and does it have a special meaning?

View attachment 67845

I had hoped to find it here.
Interesting website on the iconography of St-James ( only in Dutch unfortunately )

de icconografische voorstelling van de H. Jacobus

de iconografische voorstelling van de H. Jacobus

www.tenbunderen.be

Hope someone can give the explanation.

 

[Kathar1na]

Here is a photo with the archbishop and the chosen slogan Sal de tu tierra in several languages, in English it is: Go forth from the land. It's from Genesis 12:1. That's the trouble with these short Bible quotes: They don't have the same connotations in every language when you hear them in isolation. Best example is the ever popular "Judge not" that just doesn't work the same in every language the way it works in English. Zieh weg aus deinem Land and Quitte ton pays sounds odd in my ears. You need a little sermon to understand it, imho.

Underneath it says in Galician: The Apostle is awaiting you. That sounds nice, though.

 

[Kathar1na]

Interesting website on the iconography of St-James ( only in Dutch unfortunately )
https://www.tenbunderen.be/bedevaarten/compostelajacobus.html

It doesn't have an answer but that is an excellent site. Thank you, @SabineP.

 

[Kathar1na]

There is a tab named Materiales on the website where you can find information about the meaning of the logo, the slogan and the poster. Among other things, the slogan invites you to come and see the restored polychromatic Portico of Glory in order to contemplate the beauty of the Christian faith and you can also see in it the multiform and colorful expression of the faith of so many pilgrims of different origins and races, who throughout the ages have reached the tomb of the Apostle.

I wonder whether that means that the Portico of Glory will be open to the general public and not restricted to a paid guided tour of about 45 minutes? Nice as the tour is, it doesn't really give you much time or opportunity for any contemplation. If that's the case it might be a reason for me to travel to Santiago in 2021 ...

 

[Bradypus]

I wonder whether that means that the Portico of Glory will be open to the general public and not restricted to a paid guided tour of about 45 minutes?

That would be good but there is nothing in the announcements I've seen so far that leads me to think so. I am finding it a little ironic that the image the cathedral have chosen to promote the Holy Year is something which used to welcome the arriving pilgrims openly and freely - a memorable and emotional climax to their journey - but which is now inaccessible behind locked gates and screens except for paying tour parties and those few lucky enough to receive a free pass.

 

[Kathar1na]

This whole Holy Year business ... one starts to wonder.

I was surprised to read that today, Sunday 12 January 2020, will be the official end of the Holy Year of Santo Domingo de la Calzada or Año Jubilar Calceatense which began on 26 April 2019, complete with a bull from the Vatican, a special Holy Door or Puerta del Perdón and the granting of Plenary Indulgence to those who come to venerate the relics of the Saint and perform the necessary rituals or task. There was barely a mention of this on the forum; were Camino peregrinos even aware of it when they walked through SDdlC in 2019?

And as to Loreto, the famous Marian pilgrimage shrine since the Middle Ages, the Vatican had just announced the solemn proclamation of the Lauretan Holy Year which began on 8 December 2019 and will end on 10 December 2020, of course also with a Holy Door and the granting of Plenary Indulgence to the faithful. Somewhat surprisingly, there are arrangements so that airport chapels anywhere in the world can request to be linked to this Loreto Holy Year, and I quote, "so that the Plenary Indulgence linked to the Jubilee of Loreto can also be received in the Airport Chapel".

In a distant world a long time ago where you had to travel to particular places at particular times to receive a Plenary Indulgence, these Holy Years made sense. But now ...? I guess special festive circumstances may make the faithful more reflective and perhaps more receptive but still ... one wonders. Of course, for Santiago, there's a centuries old tradition to uphold!

Just to avoid misunderstandings: this is not about Plenary Indulgence, it is about the purpose of Holy Years, of which there seem to be many these days.

 

[NorthernLight]

Airport chapels ... will online be next?

Sorry, thread drift.

 

[Bradypus]

There was barely a mention of this on the forum; were Camino peregrinos even aware of it when they walked through SDdlC in 2019?

I was aware of the Santo Domingo de la Calzada Jubilee year but to be honest it would take a great deal more than an event like that to put the Camino Frances back on my "to do" list these days.

Somewhat surprisingly, there are arrangements so that airport chapels anywhere in the world can be linked to this Loreto Holy Year, and I quote, "so that the Plenary Indulgence linked to the Jubilee of Loreto can also be received in the Airport Chapel".

Not a unique idea in principle. There is a Camino de Santiago on the island of Gran Canaria which links a church dedicated to Santiago in the mountainous centre of the island with another at Gáldar on the north coast. By a special papal dispensation the church in Gáldar is regarded as in effect a proxy for the Santiago cathedral and those who visit it may receive indulgences under the same terms and conditions. Probably a useful thing when religious observance was more rigorous and travel to mainland Spain more expensive and difficult. Not so sure of its value today.

 

[Kathar1na]

By a special papal dispensation the church in Gáldar is regarded as in effect a proxy for the Santiago cathedral and those who visit it may receive indulgences under the same terms and conditions. Probably a useful thing when religious observance was more rigorous and travel to mainland Spain more expensive and difficult. Not so sure of its value today.

That makes sense except for the fact that the Santiago church in Gáldar was granted this privilege for the first time for the Holy Year 1965 by John XXIII, then renewed by Paul VI for the years 1971 and 1977, and finally granted by John Paul II in perpetuum for the Holy Years from 1993 onwards. Still, I'm happy for them to have this privilege.

I'm aware of current rules and so I guess special occasions are special occasions, and special occasions are different from everyday occasions ...

Source: http://www.diocesisdecanarias.es/agendadiocesana/2004aosantojacobeo/aosantojacobeoengaldar.html

 

[Mima1965]

I had hoped to find it here.
Interesting website on the iconography of St-James ( only in Dutch unfortunately )

de icconografische voorstelling van de H. Jacobus

de iconografische voorstelling van de H. Jacobus

www.tenbunderen.be

Hope someone can give the explanation.

I had hoped to find it here.
Interesting website on the iconography of St-James ( only in Dutch unfortunately )

de icconografische voorstelling van de H. Jacobus

de iconografische voorstelling van de H. Jacobus

www.tenbunderen.be

Hope someone can give the explanation.

"En este sentido, el Codex habla del bordón como el tercer pie del peregrino, “símbolo de la fe en la Santísima Trinidad”, y medio de “defensa del hombre contra los lobos y los perros”, a los que compara con el diablo tentador, quizá aprovechando el miedo casi reverencial que los peregrinos tenían a estos dos característicos animales. En el libro II -capítulo VI- se le conceden propiedades taumatúrgicas: Santiago cura con el bordón de un mendigo a un peregrino enfermo."

The above could be an explanation. In the Codex the staff is represented as "a symbol of faith...and a way for men to defend against wolves and dogs" because such animals were associated with the tempting devil.
Many legends in popular culture and literature make reference to the wild dogs in the camino.

 

[Kathar1na]

I noticed for the first time ever the animal head on the Apostle's staff. What is it and does it have a special meaning?

It is a tau-headed staff and not a pilgrim's staff. And I've just learnt that a tau-headed staff is normally the mark of an abbot. Judging by other photos, it seems that it was originally symmetrical and that the animal head on the right-hand side has broken off. I'm still not certain whether it is supposed to depict a bear or a lion or a fantasy animal or something else.

The book that I'm perusing at the moment and where this Saint James statue of the Portico de la Gloria is mentioned in passing says that this staff could be a reference to the staff which Saint James is said to have given to Hermogenes, and which was (and is) exhibited at Santiago. The book was published in 1957. IS exhibited at Santiago? Anyone happen to know something about this? I know that there was a staff exhibited at the Cathedral that was supposed to be Saint James' staff and that pilgrims used to touch it but I thought this item has long disappeared from view?