Hope is itinerant, the Jubilee of Roma, Sinti and Travelers

“With your presence you remind us that ‘hope is itinerant.’” With these words, Pope Leo XIV greeted the Roma, Sinti and Travelers pilgrims

More than 3500 pilgrims from all over Europe and around the world, most of whom belong to the Roma, Sinti, or Travelers peoples, came together in Rome from 18-19 October 2025.

The great Jubilee event happened on the morning of Saturday, 18 October, in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, during which time the participants at the audience enlivened the hall with music, dance, songs and moments of reflection.

To open, after the hymn Djelem Djelem resounded in the Hall, there was a moment of prayer and reflection by Card. Fabio Baggio, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DSSUI).

Following the reading of the passage from Genesis (chapter 18), which inspired the theme of the event, the Cardinal concluded: “Refresh, O Lord, the path of those on the journey so that the way not be lost, that the journey be communion, welcoming and sharing, that the journey bring fruitful encounters, respecting differences.”

And then Pope Leo XIV arrived, greeted by the song dedicated to him by the Roma Pastoral Care Office of Granada. The Holy Father then read some passages from his discourse, of which we include two significant passages:

“Today we all feel renewed on our journey by the gift that you bring with you to the Pope: your strong faith, you unshakable faith in God alone, the solid trust that does not yield to the struggles of a life often lived on the margins of society.”

“You can be living witnesses to the centrality of these three things: trusting only in God, not attaching yourselves to any worldly good, showing an exemplary faith in deeds and words.”

The Holy Father then stopped to dialogue with some children who had posed questions to him. Link to read the entire discourse and dialogue with the children.

Before saying farewell and leaving, Leo XIV crowned the statue of the Lady of the Roma, Sinti and Travelers with the children present there and imparted the apostolic blessing.

The iconographic image of the Lady of the Roma and Sinti was donated to those present within a small bag of cloth made by the “Gattabuia” tailor’s shop of the penitentiary of Reggio Emilia.

The morning continued with groups of musicians, poets and singers coming from several parts of Europe, including the group Elijah from Romania, Nevo Drom from France and the Spinelli family from Italy.

Among those present were also the Undersecretary of the DSSUI, Monsignor Antony Anyemuche Ekpo and Archbishop Giancarlo Perego, President of the Migrants Foundation. The event concluded with a pilgrimage to the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.

On Sunday morning, the pilgrims still in Rome were given an appointment at the Sanctuary of Divine Love, for Mass in front of the Tower of the first miracle. Card. Baggio presided at the rite, accompanied by Card. Feroci, the Rector of the Sanctuary and Mons. Felicolo, the General Director of the Migrants Foundation.

“We want to celebrate today our experience of traveling through the various parts of the world, a journey that continues to remind the Church that it is a pilgrim,” Card. Baggio said. He then invited the participants “to be protagonists of the change of epoch in progress, walking together with other people of good will in the places where you find yourselves, going beyond reciprocal mistrust, making known the beauty of your culture, sharing the faith, prayer and the bread and fruit of honest labor.”

It was a moment of high spirituality and brotherhood, where the linguistic and cultural diversity came together in unison both in the liturgy and in the moments of song and prayer. Everything culminated in the procession, along with the stature of the Lady, to the Church open to the sky dedicated to Blessed Ceferino Gimenez Mall, also known as “el Pelé,” the first Roma martyr of the faith.

Then all those present recited the Hail, Mary in several languages and greeted the relatives of Blessed Ceferino present there, among them one who had received a miracle. Then they all processed to the sound of guitars, violins and dancing to the esplanade at the feet of the new Sanctuary, to continue with lunch and a great feast.