JUBILEE, in a more modern sense, denotes a grand solemnity or ceremony, celebrated at Rome, in which the pope grants a plenary indulgence, at least to as many as visit the churches of St Peter and St Paul.
The jubilee was first established by Boniface VII. in the year 1300, in favour of those who should proceed ad limina apostolorum; and it was only to return every hundred years. But the first celebration brought in such store of wealth to Rome, that the Germans called this the golden
year; a circumstance which induced Clement VI. in 1343, to reduce the period of the jubilee to fifty years. Urban VI. in 1389 appointed it to be held every thirty-five years, that being the age of our Saviour; and Paul II. and Sixtus IV. in 1475 brought it down to every twenty-five years, that all persons might have the benefit of it once in their lifetime. Boniface IX. granted the privilege of holding jubilees to several princes and monasteries; for instance, to the monks of Canterbury, who had a jubilee every fifty years, when people flocked from all parts to visit the tomb of St Thomas-a-Becket. Jubilees are now become more frequent, and the pope grants them as often as the church or himself has occasion for them. There is usually one at the inauguration of a new pope. To be entitled to the privileges of the jubilee, the bull enjoins fastings, alms, and prayers. It gives the priests full power to absolve in all cases, even those otherwise reserved to the pope, to make commutations of vows, and to perform other functions, in which it differs from a plenary indulgence. During the time of jubilee all other indulgences are suspended.
One of our kings, Edward III., caused his birth-day to be observed in the manner of a jubilee when he became fifty years of age, in 1362, but never before nor after; and this he did by releasing prisoners, pardoning all offences except treason, making good laws, and granting many privileges to the people.
There are particular jubilees in certain cities, when several of their feasts fall upon the same day; at Puy-en-Velay, for instance, when the feast of the Annunciation happens on Good Friday; and at Lyons, when the feast of St John Baptist concurs with the feast of Corpus Christi. The Jesuits celebrated a solemn jubilee at Rome in 1640, that being the centenary or hundredth year from their institution; and the same ceremony was observed in all their houses throughout the world.