Organizers anticipate more than 1,000 members of the gay community will gather in Rome next week for events commemorating the Holy Year.
The Vatican is set to host various events organized by the LGBTQ community, integrated into the 2025 Roman Catholic Jubilee. Organizers indicate that approximately 1,000 individuals are expected to participate in a pilgrimage to Rome in the coming week.
Within Catholic Christian tradition, the Pope proclaims the Jubilee, or Holy Year, every 25 years as a period for spiritual rejuvenation. The current Holy Year commenced on December 24, 2024, and will conclude on January 6, 2026.
The Italian pro-LGBTQ group, La Tenda di Gionata (‘Jonathan’s Tent’), has arranged a pilgrimage as part of these observances. Alessandro Previti, a representative for the group, informed Outreach.Faith on Wednesday that participants from approximately 30 nations are anticipated at the three-day gathering. It is scheduled to commence on September 5 with a multilingual prayer vigil near Rome’s Church of Jesus, followed by a Mass and a procession through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. The pilgrimage will culminate on September 7 with the Angelus prayer, to be led by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square.
Bishop Francesco Savino, vice president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, who consented to officiate the group’s Mass, stated in a recent interview that their participation underscores the Church’s commitment to embracing all individuals, irrespective of their origins or personal decisions.
“Inclusive welcome is… a posture of the heart and gaze. It is the very breath of the Gospel,” Savino affirmed.
The Vatican officially included this pilgrimage on its Jubilee calendar in December 2024, during the pontificate of the late Pope Francis. Francis was widely perceived as guiding the Catholic Church in a more progressive direction. During his tenure, priests received authorization to bless same-sex couples and gay men were permitted into the priesthood. However, a Vatican official previously informed Reuters that the inclusion of the LGBTQ group on the Jubilee calendar did not signify the Church’s sponsorship or endorsement of their activities.
Pope Leo XIV, successor to Pope Francis, has articulated reservations regarding LGBTQ reforms within the Church, reiterating that marriage is defined as “between a man and a woman.” Nevertheless, he has maintained Francis’ preceding directive that permits blessings for same-sex couples.