Is there a door in St. Peters basilica thats opened once every 100 years?
Dear Cecil: I have a friend who has a cross made of wood supposedly from a door in Saint Peter’s Basilica. It was said that this door is only opened once every 100 years. What is behind the door, and why is it kept closed? — Blewick, via America Online Cecil replies: I know what you’re thinking: a secret back door to the Vatican! Exactly, except that it’s not secret, in the back, or to the Vatican. What you refer to is an odd tradition at St. Peter’s involving the Porta Santa, or Holy Door. This door is in the front of the basilica to the right of the main entrance. Most of the time it’s kept not merely locked but walled up. It’s opened only during Holy Years, also known as Jubilee Years. Massive numbers of pilgrims descend on St. Peter’s at these times, and as a practical matter — we’ll get to the metaphysical side of things in a minute — the door functions as a sort of Holy Fire Exit. Holy Years are an odd tradition in their own right. The first was proclaimed in AD 1300 by Pope Boni
