Rome Prepares to Welcome 100,000 Pilgrims for Historic Jubilee of Confraternities

Rome, 17 May, 2025— Rome is set to host nearly 100,000 pilgrims from over 100 countries as the Eternal City prepares for a three-day Jubilee dedicated to Confraternities. Running from 16 to 18 May, this unique gathering highlights the age-old brotherhoods and sisterhoods that exemplify popular piety and community service, rather than focusing on bishops, priests, or ecclesial movements.

The Jubilee will open with coordinated pilgrimages to the Holy Doors of the four Papal Basilicas. The welcome celebration takes place on 16 May at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, featuring music and prayer led by Monsignor Marco Frisina. European Confraternity leaders will offer testimonies and reflections, reinforcing their shared religious heritage and traditions.

A central theme of this Jubilee is unity through faith, brought to life through an extraordinary procession on the second day. Historic processional statues from across Europe—some of which have never left their home countries—will join the spectacle. Among the most iconic are Spain’s “Cristo del Cachorro” from Seville and Málaga’s revered “Virgen de la Esperanza.” These sacred figures will be accompanied by other prominent devotional images, including the Crucifix of Mafra (Portugal), the Madonna Addolorata of Enna (Italy), and the Dévot Christ of Perpignan (France).

Already on display inside St. Peter’s Basilica, these statues will be carried through the streets of Rome in a rare and solemn procession. Departing from Piazza Celimontana and Largo Cavalieri di Colombo, the procession will make its way to the Circus Maximus, forming a moving mosaic of diverse Catholic traditions. Thousands of pilgrims and onlookers are expected to witness the event.

The Jubilee will conclude on Sunday with all Confraternity members—dressed in their ceremonial attire—gathering in St. Peter’s Square to participate in a Papal Mass. This will not only mark the end of the Jubilee, but also serve as the formal inauguration of Pope Leo XIV’s papal ministry.

With its unprecedented international diversity and emphasis on grassroots faith communities, the Jubilee of Confraternities stands out as a celebration of unity, devotion, and the enduring richness of Catholic tradition.

Source: Shalom World News