Some 1,400 Catholics wearing rainbow attire and carrying crosses took part in an officially recognised LGBTQ+ pilgrimage to Rome over the weekend, passing through St Peter's Basilica's Holy Door as part of the Roman Catholic Church's Jubilee Year.
Pilgrims from about 20 countries attended prayer vigils, masses and other activities, organisers said. The group was not granted a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, who was elected in May and has not publicly addressed the LGBTQ+ community since his election.
Saturday's procession through the Holy Door — which opens only once every 25 years to mark a jubilee — was presented by participants and supporters as a gesture of reconciliation and belonging. The event is the first time an LGBTQ+ pilgrimage has been officially recognised in Rome as part of the jubilee events, which are expected to draw millions: the Vatican anticipates about 32 million pilgrims this year.
Organisers said participants took part in public and private liturgies and prayer events throughout the weekend. Supporters within the Church welcomed the visibility. "Not only are LGBTQ people marching and walking to say that they're part of the Church, but official Church institutions are welcoming them and helping them to tell their stories," Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, was quoted as saying by the National Catholic Reporter.
The pilgrimage comes amid an ongoing tension within Catholic leadership over pastoral approaches to LGBTQ+ people. Pope Francis, who died in April, made a notable but limited shift in 2023 by issuing guidance that allowed priests to bless same-sex and other so-called "irregular" couples in certain circumstances. The move did not change church doctrine that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and the Vatican later clarified that such blessings should not be integrated into regular liturgical rituals or equated with civil unions or weddings.
That 2023 move prompted criticism from conservative church figures, particularly in Africa, while others welcomed what they saw as an expanded pastoral outreach. Francis had earlier said in 2020 that "homosexual people have a right to be in a family" and that they should not be marginalized.
Vatican officials have said the event was part of the wider jubilee programme and did not imply doctrinal changes. The new pope, who has not publicly commented on his predecessor's 2023 decree, has maintained a low public profile on the issue since his election.
The pilgrimage is creating space for people who identify as LGBTQ+ to participate visibly in jubilee events and to press for pastoral inclusion while church doctrine remains unchanged. Observers said the gathering underscored enduring divisions within the global church over pastoral care and doctrine, and it highlighted the challenges leaders face in balancing tradition, pastoral outreach and dissent within the Catholic community.
The Jubilee Year continues with other scheduled events and pilgrimages aimed at drawing Catholics from around the world to Rome through the rest of the calendar year.