That evening, a prayer vigil at Rome’s Gesu Church, themed “Church – a home for all. Starting from the borders,” includes LGBTQ+ Christians and their families. A rainbow cross, carried by pilgrims along the Via Francigena, is presented. On September 6, Bishop Francesco Savino leads a Mass at Gesu Church, followed by a Jubilee Pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica’s Holy Door with over 1,000 participants.
The Vatican states anyone can join pilgrimages and that the LGBTQ+ group is neither Vatican-sponsored nor endorsed. However, the Vatican will host the group and includes them in its official schedule.
The organizer, Tiziano Fani Brag, reported to the newspaper "La Repubblica" on Wednesday, hostilities and attacks against "the pilgrimage" began as soon as the event was announced. It was noticeable that these came almost exclusively from "anonymous internet profiles." Braga claims: "We show our faces, they hide.
