1,200 LGBTQ Catholics crossed the threshold of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica the pilgrimage, though not organized by the Vatican, was officially recognized on the Italian-language calendar of the Jubilee website
Newsroom (08/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) On Sept. 6, over 1,200 LGBTQ Catholics and their allies from dozens of countries crossed the threshold of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, marking a historic moment in the ongoing Jubilee of Hope. For many, the act of passing through the sacred portal was more than a ritual; it was a deeply emotional affirmation of their place within the Catholic Church. Some kissed or caressed the door’s panels, while others were moved to tears.
“When I walked through the Holy Door, I was flooded with memories and gratitude for all the Catholic LGBTQ+ people, supportive families and friends, pastoral ministers I have met in my ministry,” said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, in an interview with Catholic News Service. DeBernardo’s organization has long advocated for the inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics in the Church.
The pilgrimage, though not organized by the Vatican, was officially recognized on the Italian-language calendar of the Jubilee website, signaling a subtle but significant shift in the Church’s engagement with LGBTQ communities. The group’s itinerary included prayer services, Masses, conferences, and panel discussions, culminating in the procession through the Holy Door.
Among the pilgrims were approximately 40 Americans traveling with Outreach, a ministry founded by Jesuit Father James Martin to provide resources and support for LGBTQ Catholics, their families, and those who minister with them. “For me, the pilgrimage was deeply consoling,” Father Martin told CNS. “The Outreach panel at the Jesuit Curia, the joy-filled prayer service on Friday night, and the beautiful Mass at the Church of the Gesù all seemed historic, betokening a new opening in the Church to its LGBTQ members.”
Father Martin, who met privately with Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 1, described the Holy Door procession as “a fitting end to our pilgrimage. It felt like walking into a new era.”
The pilgrimage’s emotional high point came during a Mass at the Church of the Gesù, presided over by Bishop Francesco Savino, vice president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference. In his homily, Bishop Savino emphasized the dignity of all baptized Christians and the Jubilee’s call to conversion, reconciliation, and “restorative justice.”
“Now is the time to restore dignity to all, especially to those who have been denied it,” he declared, urging the congregation to embrace new pastoral approaches that foster understanding and inclusion. “We are all a pilgrim people of hope,” he added, “and we want to leave this celebration more joyful and hopeful than ever.”
The Mass, concelebrated by approximately 30 priests, including Father Martin, drew a diverse crowd. Inside the packed church, some pilgrims waved rainbow-colored fans to keep cool, while others wore shirts bearing the words “nell’amore non c’è timore” (“there is no fear in love”), a reference to 1 John 4:18. The recessional hymn was followed by heartfelt embraces and applause, with a pilgrim carrying a rainbow-colored cross leading the procession out of the basilica.
DeBernardo credited the grassroots efforts of LGBTQ Catholics and their allies for making such an event possible. “This experience would not have been possible without Pope Francis’ opening the doors of the whole Church to LGBTQ+ people,” he said, “but even more important have been the prayers, courage, and efforts of grassroots Catholics over decades who kept gently insisting that LGBTQ+ people are people of deep faith who should have equal status in the Church.”
Reflecting on the day’s readings, Bishop Savino drew from St. Paul to highlight that “a small step” taken amid human limitations can be more pleasing to God than an outwardly perfect life untested by trials. “We all have to convert,” he said, calling for a rejection of “polemical or ideological temptation” and an embrace of “living truth” over “dead truth.”
While the late Pope Francis repeatedly called for LGBTQ individuals to be treated with “respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he did not alter the Church’s teaching that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.” The catechism also states that people with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” should be free from unjust discrimination.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA and Catholic Review CNS
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