The pilgrimage of Jonathan's tent on the Jubilee site was there, it is no longer there, but it will be there
Article by Robert Shine published on the New Ways Ministry (USA) website on 14 December 2024, freely translated by the volunteers of the Gionata Project
This month, the media gave the news that La Tenda di Gionata, an Italian association that accompanies Christians LGBTQ+ and their parents, was organizing a jubilee pilgrimage in Rome for September next year. (...)
Initially, the pilgrimage was included on the Jubilee website among the hundreds of Jubilee events listed for 2025.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, had confirmed that the pilgrimage was present in the calendar of the Jubilee site "like many other events".
However, the situation quickly changed after Catholic sites publicized the news, sparking mixed reactions. Some Catholic realities have interpreted the presence of the pilgrimage on the Jubilee site as a form of official approval by the Vatican.
Shortly after the publication of the news, the pilgrimage of Jonathan's Tent disappeared from the calendar of the official Jubilee website, with a error message instead of the link.
The Dicastery for Evangelization, questioned by the media, first denied that the event had ever been published. However, online archives showed that the pilgrimage had indeed been included, which led to further confusion and criticism.
Agnese Palmucci, member of the Jubilee Year staff, intervened to clarify the matter. He explained that the removal occurred solely due to a lack of details provided by the organizers. He also clarified that the Vatican office is only responsible for the 35 main events and not for pilgrimages organized by dioceses or associations, like that one. Once the necessary information has been received, the pilgrimage will be reinserted on the site.
It is not the first time that initiatives dealing with LGBTQ+ people have generated tension on the Vatican website.
In 2021, a link to New Ways Ministry's LGBTQ+ synod resources was removed from the website of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, sparking numerous criticisms.
However, the official responsible publicly apologized, and the link was restored, marking a significant moment of openness towards the LGBTQ+ community.
This episode highlights both the progress and difficulties present in dialogue on LGBTQ+ issues in the Catholic Church. Therefore the reintroduction of the pilgrimage into the official Jubilee calendar will certainly be an important signal in a journey which, despite many obstacles, continues to build bridges of hope and dialogue.
Original text: LGBTQ+ Pilgrimage Details Will Be Restored on Vatican Jubilee Website
