# Special door in the Vatican: Only Open Once/Century?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-door-in-the-vatican-only-open-once-century/517345>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 12, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-door-in-the-vatican-only-open-once-century/517345 "2009-11-12T18:51:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-door-in-the-vatican-only-open-once-century/517345/1 "2009-11-12T18:51:29Z")

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I read once about a special door, in the Varican City. It is only opened when the Pope proclaims a “jubilee” year-this is usually once every century.  
What is the sgnificance of this door? Is it used to transport aything?

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**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-door-in-the-vatican-only-open-once-century/517345/2 "2009-11-12T18:59:54Z")

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Cecil has done this. Here’s the column on it…

> **[Is there a door in St. Peter’s basilica that’s opened once every 100 years?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342311/is-there-a-door-in-st-peter-s-basilica-that-s-opened-once-every-100-years)**

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-door-in-the-vatican-only-open-once-century/517345/3 "2009-11-12T19:00:01Z")

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Wiki entry when you type in “Jubilee” and look at “theology”: [Jubilee in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_(Christian))

Google result from “vatican holy doors jubilee”:  
[http://www.vatican.va/news\_services/liturgy/documents/ns\_lit\_doc\_20010106\_chiusura\_en.html](http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20010106_chiusura_en.html)

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-door-in-the-vatican-only-open-once-century/517345/4 "2009-11-12T19:05:19Z")

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[Holy doors](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_door).

There’s four of them.