Jubilee of the Confraternities to draw 100,000 Pilgrims to Rome

As part of the ongoing Jubilee Year 2025, over 100,000 pilgrims worldwide are expected to gather in Rome from May 16 to 18 for the Jubilee of the Confraternities—a vibrant celebration of faith, tradition, and global unity.

According to a press release from the Jubilee 2025 Press Office of the Dicastery for Evangelization, pilgrims from over 100 countries, including large groups from Italy, Spain, the United States, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brazil, and France, will take part in this three-day spiritual event filled with prayer, testimony, and expressions of popular devotion.

The celebration begins on May 16, with pilgrimages to the Holy Doors of Rome’s papal basilicas, followed by a welcoming ceremony at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, led by the Diocese of Rome, featuring prayer, music, and testimonies from European confraternities.

On Saturday, May 17, the streets of Rome will come alive with a Grand Procession, showcasing sacred images and statues from confraternities across Europe. Among the most anticipated are “El Cristo del Cachorro” from Seville and the “Virgin of Hope” from Málaga—both currently on display at St. Peter’s Basilica until May 17.

The main procession will begin at Piazza Celimontana, featuring confraternities from Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, and the Vatican, while a second procession will depart from Largo Cavalieri di Colombo, with both processions symbolically converging near Circus Maximus.

The Jubilee concludes on Sunday, May 18, with a Solemn Mass at 10:30 AM in St. Peter’s Square, marking the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry of Pope Leo XIV. The Mass is open to the public and does not require tickets.

For the faithful across Asia and the world, this international gathering serves as a powerful witness to the Church’s rich tradition of lay participation, Marian devotion, and universal communion in Christ.