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 Basilicas of the Holy Year 2000: 800 l: Saint Peter's Basilica (Scott 1137) 1000 l: Basilica of Saint John Lateran (Scott 1138) 1200 l: Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Scott 1139) 2000 l: Basilica of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls (Scott 1140) The Jubilee of Hope, the Holy Year of 2025, concluded last month. An estimated 33 million people flocked to Rome during this past year, which started on Christmas Eve, 2024, and ended on January 6, 2026. Focal points during the Jubilee were the four papal, or major, basilicas in Rome and Vatican City, as many of the pilgrims to Rome visited the basilicas and passed through their Holy Doors. For the Holy Year of 2000, Vatican City issued a four-stamp set highlighting these four monumental churches. This article was originally written by Thomas Crimando, and it appeared in the July, 2000 issue of Vatican Notes. A couple of minor edits have been made to bring the article up-to-date. The original article can be accessed by clicking on the link in the references at the bottom of today's presentation: On February 4, 2000 Vatican City issued a series of four special stamps in connection with the Holy Year of 2000. The stamps feature the facades of the four principal Basilicas of Rome, each of which was restored in preparation for the Holy Year. The background of each stamp reproduces a detail from a mosaic located in that basilica: 800 lire - facade of St. Peter's Basilica and mosaic of St. Peter located above the Holy Door in the Basilica; 1, 000 lire - facade of the Basilica of St. John Lateran and the image of Christ from the mosaic decorating the apse; 1,200 lire - facade of the Basilica of St. Mary Major and mosaic in the apse depicting the crowning of the Virgin Mary by Jesus; 2,000 lire - facade of the Basilica of St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls and mosaic of a ship at sea, a symbol of St. Paul; this mosaic was rescued during a fire which destroyed the Basilica in 1823. The stamps are vertical, measuring 35.96 x 42.82 mm., and have a perforation of 11 3/4 x 11 3/4. The value appears in the upper left corner, while the name of the Basilica is at the upper right. The words CITTA DEL VATICANO -ANNO SANTO DEL 2000 are at the bottom. The stamps were printed by photogravure and issued in sheets of 10. Helio Courvoisier of Switzerland printed 450,000 complete series. Pope John Paul II formally opened the Holy Doors in each of the four principal Basilicas of Rome. During the Great Jubilee of 2000, millions of pilgrims from around the world [visited] the four Basilicas and thereby [obtained] special indulgences. REFERENCES: |
