For the first time in Vatican history, more than 1,000 LGBTQ Catholics and their supporters are gathering for an official pilgrimage, marking a milestone for inclusivity within the Catholic Church.
The event, involving around 1,400 participants from nearly 20 countries, is part of the Jubilee holy year and was organized by La Tenda di Gionata (The Tent of Jonathan), an Italian group advocating for greater acceptance of LGBTQ believers. Although participants did not have a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, this is the first time such a pilgrimage has been included in the Church’s Jubilee program.
Among the pilgrims was 68-year-old transgender woman Yveline Behets from Brussels, who walked 130 kilometers along the historic Via Francigena route with fellow LGBTQ participants. Behets emphasized the need for true inclusion, noting, “We are not outsiders to be welcomed occasionally—we are part of the same family.”
As part of the pilgrimage, participants walked through the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica, joined a mass at the Church of the Gesu, and held a prayer vigil. For many, including Hugo, a 35-year-old from Quebec, the event signaled hope for greater openness in the Church, despite longstanding doctrinal opposition to homosexual acts and same-sex unions.
While Pope Francis, who passed away in April, had taken steps toward welcoming LGBTQ Catholics—such as allowing blessings for same-sex couples—he stopped short of altering doctrine. His successor, Pope Leo, reaffirmed traditional teachings on marriage but has upheld Francis’s inclusive blessing decision.
For families like that of Italian mother Beatrice Sarti, who accompanied her gay son, much still needs to change. She stressed the importance of training priests and church leaders to create a more welcoming environment. “Many of our children leave the Church because they are made to feel wrong. That must change,” she said.
