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CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis has approved a pilgrimage specifically for LGBT individuals as part of the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, according to Italian journalist Franca Giansoldati in Il Messaggero. Scheduled for Sept. 6, this event has been added to the official Jubilee calendar.
The pilgrimage will take place at the Church of the Gesù, a historic Baroque Jesuit church in Rome known for its ornate design and as the resting place of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and St. Francis Xavier, Il Messaggero reported. Participants will begin with a prayer vigil Sept. 5 at the Church of the Gesù, followed by a procession through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica the next day.
The initiative was conceived by Father Pino Piva, a Jesuit priest from Bologna, and received backing not only from Pope Francis but also from prominent Church figures, including Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and Father Arturo Sosa, the Jesuit superior general. Giansoldati reports that Father Sosa described the event as “a good thing,” though it has faced “a lot of internal resistance,” the details of which were not specified.
The Dicastery for Evangelization, which oversees the Jubilee events, has not officially commented on the LGBT-specific pilgrimage. An official spokesperson told Reuters that an event’s inclusion in the Jubilee calendar does not imply the Dicastery supports it; the events are not sponsored activities. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery, is said to have worked closely with Pope Francis to facilitate the arrangements.
According to Il Messaggero, Monsignor Fisichella, the Jubilee director and pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, confirmed the event is part of the official Jubilee calendar.
“Everyone is welcome,” he said, according to ANSA.
The pilgrimage, titled “Church, Home for All, LGBT+ Christians and Other Existential Frontiers,” will be organized by the Italian LGBT association Tenda di Gionata (Jonathan’s Tent). The group promotes LGBT ideology within the Church and society in the name of “inclusion.” According to LifeSiteNews, the group has also promoted LGBT prayer events featuring blasphemous icons of Christ with rainbow-colored halos and flags.
In 1986, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, issued a directive to bishops regarding pastoral care for homosexual people. It warned against any pastoral programs that failed to clearly affirm the Church’s moral teachings, stating that neglecting this responsibility could mislead individuals into believing homosexual activity was morally acceptable.
The document emphasized the need for pastoral care rooted in truth, including the sacraments, prayer, and spiritual guidance, to help individuals live in accordance with Church teaching, stating, “Only what is true can ultimately be pastoral.”
