Tens of thousands of pilgrims expected for Jubilee of Families
Baku, May 30, AZERTAC
More than 60,000 pilgrims from 120 different countries are expected in Rome this weekend for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly, according to Vatican News.
From Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1, 2025, the great Jubilee event dedicated to families, children, grandparents, and the elderly will be held … three full days of events and attractions, punctuated by moments of prayer, reflection, celebration and sharing.
The event is expected to attract over 60,000 pilgrims to Rome. Participants have signed up to come from 120 countries from every continent. Large groups will be present from Italy, Spain, the United States, Poland and Portugal. Many pilgrims will also arrive in Rome from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Romania, the Philippines, and Chile.
Numerous dioceses, associations, and movements will also be represented, including large groups involved in Agesci, Italian Catholic Action, the Neocatechumenal Communities, UNITALSI, the Catholic Grandparents Association, the Franciscan Movement, the Focolare Movement, and many other Italian and international groups which promote the human and spiritual growth of families.
The first day of the Jubilee, Friday, May 30, will see pilgrimages to the Holy Doors of the Papal Basilicas between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. At 10:00 am as is now customary, there will be “Dialogues with the city” – a series of cultural, artistic and spiritual events in the piazzas of the historic centre of Rome, organized by various institutions, associations and movements linked to family pastoral care, including the Pontifical Committee for World Children's Day, the Association of Families for Welcoming, Nonno Banter 57 APS - Giochi di Strada, Le Muse di Archimede, and the Emmanuel Community. All the details relating to the piazzas hosting events and activities can be found on the Jubilee website.
On Saturday May 31, the pilgrimage to the Holy Doors will continue from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Please note that, due to organizational requirements in the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Door of St. Peter’s will not be accessible from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday.
From 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, the “Dialogues with the city” will continue offering celebratory and educational activities, organized by, among others, the Centro Oratori Romani (COR), Italian Catholic Action, the CHARIS Association (Catholic Charismatic Renewal), the Neocatechumenal Way, the Community of Sant’Egidio, Family Global Compact and the international network of family associations, and also Le Muse di Archimede and Nonno Banter 57 APS - Giochi di Strada. For these events too, all the details can be found on the Jubilee website.
Saturday’s events will culminate in the late afternoon, from 6:30 pm to 8.00 pm, in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, with the “Family Festival” and the Prayer Vigil during which the Rosary will be recited to conclude the Marian month of May.
The celebration, which will be packed with music and testimonies, will be hosted by Lorena Bianchetti, an Italian television presenter, and will see the participation of, among others, special guests such as the actor Giovanni Scifoni, the Christian Music bands The Sun and Gen Verde, and Alfio Russo, a very young saxophonist. Then various family associations, among them the Associazione Papa Giovanni XXIII, the Equipe Notre Dame, Famiglie per l’accoglienza, Famiglie Nuove – Focolari and Nonni 2.0, will tell their stories of commitment and share their experiences of working for the family.
To mark the event, at the entrances of Piazza San Giovanni, 10,000 copies of the new edition of the “Children’s Bible”, edited by the Pontifical Foundation ‘Aid to the Church in Need’, in five languages (Italian, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese), will be distributed to participants. Entry to the area will be permitted from 4:00 pm.
At the conclusion of the Jubilee, on Sunday June 1, at 10:30 am in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father will preside over the Eucharistic Celebration which will see the participation of thousands of children and families from all over the world. Entrance to the square is free and no tickets are needed for the Papal Mass.
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