The Vatican has confirmed that an Italian LGBTQ+ Catholic group, La Tenda di Gionata, will take part in the Holy Year 2025 by making a pilgrimage through Rome and the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The event appears in the Vatican’s official Jubilee calendar, but officials stressed it is neither organized nor endorsed by the Holy See.
The group will begin its pilgrimage with a prayer vigil at Rome’s Church of the Gesù on September 6, under the theme “Church a home for all.
Starting from the borders.” The following day, members will join other pilgrims in entering the Holy Door at St. Peter’s.
The Vatican’s Jubilee office explained the inclusion, saying that the calendar simply lists registered pilgrimages once space is available. “Once there is space, we insert the pilgrimage into the general calendar,” said Agnese Palmucci, spokesperson for the Holy Year committee. She emphasized that this does not mean the Vatican sponsors or promotes the group’s initiative.
The LGBTQ+ pilgrimage first took place during the Holy Year of Mercy in 2016 and again informally in 2020. Its inclusion in the official 2025 calendar has drawn global attention, particularly after conservative critics alleged the Vatican was formally backing the group.
Officials pushed back, stressing that the Jubilee welcomes all Catholic groups — parishes, dioceses, and lay associations alike. “The Holy Year is for everyone,” Palmucci said, “but that doesn’t mean we organize or endorse each pilgrimage.”
The 2025 Holy Year, announced by Pope Francis, will run from December 24, 2024, to January 6, 2026, and is expected to draw over 30 million pilgrims to Rome.
