History was made in Rome this weekend as the Vatican welcomed more than 1,000 LGBTQ Catholics and their supporters for a pilgrimage that formed part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee holy year.
The event, which gathered about 1,400 participants from nearly 20 countries, was organised by La Tenda di Gionata, an Italian group pushing for inclusivity in the Church. Although LGBTQ groups have previously visited the Vatican, this is the first time such a pilgrimage has been recognised on the official Jubilee calendar.
Participants marched to Saint Peter’s Basilica to pass through the Holy Door, a rite performed by millions of pilgrims during the Jubilee. On Friday night, they held a prayer vigil, and by Saturday morning, hundreds joined a mass at the Church of the Gesu in central Rome.
For some, the pilgrimage was both spiritual and personal. Yveline Behets, a 68-year-old transgender woman from Brussels, said she walked 130 kilometres along the Via Francigena with 30 others to reach Rome.
“One should not misuse the word ‘welcome’,” Behets said. “We are not just outsiders who are sometimes welcomed, we are part of the same family.”
Hugo, a 35-year-old pilgrim from Quebec, described the moment as a turning point. “This is a really important signal for us to feel more included,” he said. “If everybody got to know everyone else, a lot of barriers would come down.”
Still, many acknowledge challenges remain. Pope Leo XIV, who succeeded Pope Francis after his death in April, has upheld the doctrine that marriage is between a man and a woman, but he has also confirmed priests can bless same-sex couples, a decision that stirred opposition in parts of the Church, especially in Africa.
Beatrice Sarti, a mother from Bologna accompanying her gay son, said changing attitudes must begin at the grassroots. “Many of our children no longer go to church because they are made to feel they are wrong. That absolutely needs to change,” she said. “The first thing to do is train educators, seminarians, priests and bishops. It is a very long process.”
While Pope Leo did not meet the group, organisers called the pilgrimage a landmark in efforts to build space for diversity within Catholicism.
