Jubilee of People with Disabilities: an event of joy, faith and inclusion in Rome
The Jubilee of People with Disabilities ended yesterday, Tuesday 29 April 2025. The extraordinary event brought about 10,000 pilgrims from over 90 countries around the world to Rome. It saw two intense days of encounter, prayer and testimony that involved children, young people and adults with disabilities, together with their families, volunteers and companions.
Monday 28 April began with the pilgrimage to the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. At the same time, in the Church of San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini, confessions were held and Eucharistic adoration took place with priests trained to welcome people with various forms of disabilities. At 5pm, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls hosted the solemn Mass presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who is in charge of organizing the Jubilee. The celebration was made accessible thanks to simultaneous translation into Italian and international sign language.
On Tuesday, April 29, St. Peter's Square welcomed pilgrims for an intense morning of catechesis led once more by Archbishop Fisichella which also included touching testimonies from people with disabilities. In the afternoon, the atmosphere was transformed into an explosion of joy and sharing at the Gardens of Castel Sant'Angelo with music, shows, games and fun moments hosted by Rossella Brescia and Rudy Zerbi. Among the artists who took to the stage were Noemi, Ladri di Carrozzelle, Rulli Frulli, Chicco's Band, Hearts for Music and many others. Also memorable was the pas de deux by Oney Tapia and the dancer Fabienne Haustant, together with the Tercon brothers.
Throughout the two-day Jubilee, along Via della Conciliazione, pilgrims were able to walk "The Paths of Hope", a pathway of stands, meetings and testimonies … concrete examples of inclusion and courage. The Jubilee of people with disabilities was a tangible sign of how the Church and society can and must be inclusive, welcoming, and attentive to fragility.