"In 1122 Pope Calixtus II gave Compostela the privilege of granting a plenary indulgence to those who visited the shrine of the Apostle in the years when the Saint’s day fell on a Sunday. This is recorded in the Bull, Regis Aeterni, issued by Pope Alexander III in 1179."
The alleged grant of a Jubilee to Compostela by Pope Callictus II in the year 1119 and supposedly ratified in 1179 by Pope Alexander III to confirm this as a perpetual bull by Regis Aeterni, is a claim that has been discarded by some historians. They propose a later origin suggesting that the Jubilee in Santiago did not start until the first half of the fifteenth century. They argue that this Jubilee Holy Year was born imitating the successful Roman Holy Year which was celebrated for first time in 1300 as a response to Pope Boniface VIII spontaneous demand that special thanks be given to the thousands and thousands of pilgrims who visited Rome in that landmark year at the change of the century.
There are essentially two positions on the origin of Compostela Jubilee Years. They are summarized through the work of two of the few experts who have been trying to throw light on it, though from differing viewpoints.
- Jesus Precedo Lafuente is former Dean of the Cathedral of Santiago, and was responsible for leading the organization of several Holy Years in Compostela in the second half of the twentieth century. He argues that Aeterni Regis, following the Bull (1179) of Pope Alexander III, the first Jubilee was held in Santiago in 1182. He defends well, that which is maintained from the time this celebration in the years that in accordance with the bull, agreed that the Sunday celebrating the martyrdom in Palestine of St. James is 25 Julio, that usually happens every 6,5,6, 11 years (Precedo Lafuente, Jesus, "Origin and Significance of the Year Santae Compostela" pilgrim's Guide Calixtino Salamanca, Fundación Caixa Galicia, A Coruña, 1993, p.20).
- Compostela professor, Fernando López Alsina, the historian who has studied this question more thoroughly, suggests a later origin, suggesting that the first Compostela Holy Year was not held until 1428 or 1434. "Only since 1434, and throughout the rest of the fifteenth century, can we follow the regular celebration of the Compostela Holy Year at planned intervals of 6, 5, 6, 11 years." (Lopez Alsi, Fernando: "Romans and Holy Years Holy Years Compostela in Santiago, Rome, Jerusalem. Proceedings of the Third Congress Jacobean-International Studies Caucci, Paolo, ed. Xunta de Galicia, Santigo de Compostela, 1999, p. 235)
According to the Xacobeo Blog: The truth is that only since the fifteenth century can we follow the ceremony of the Jubilees regularly in Compostela. They have occurred since that period with characteristics closeness to the present when the festival the apostle James the Great falls on Sundays. In this case, reference to the Holy Year of 1434, the first of which there is a strong historical record, means that up to the year 2010 there have been a total of 84 Jubilees Compostela. Those who advocate a earlier dates, based on the bull Aetterni Regis, say at least 119 to 2004.
The dates have changed with each new change in calendars. In the early Middle Ages, based on the old Hispanic (Mozarabic) rite, the 30 December was St James’ Feast day.
In the 11th century King Alfonso VI abolished the Hispanic rite in favour of the Roman rite and the 25 July became the principal feast day to commemorate the martyrdom of St. James. December 30 was incorporated into the present liturgical calendar as the Feast of the Translation of his relics.
And, just to confuse matters more, although we celebrate his Feast Day on 25th July using the Roman Rite calendar, it was formerly on the 5th August on the Tridentine Rite calendar!
. If not, it will be Hell, I fear. But at least, then I will meet friends, I suppose.
