A rainbow cross to pass the Holy Door threshold, a backpack bearing the slogan ‘Fuck the rules’, and an exhibitionism that anyone could have predicted except those who should have been vigilant to prevent exploitation. There was no papal assistance, but the Vatican seems anchored to old slogans and ambiguous silences.
It was included in the Jubilee events calendar as a ‘pilgrimage by the La Tenda di Gionata association and other associations’, but behind this name, which may mean little to the reader, lies one of the most divisive issues in contemporary ecclesial debate. It was immediately renamed the LGBT Jubilee by the press, however, and discussed in the media around the world for at least two weeks. Evidently, however, it must have slipped the notice of the extremely costly Dicastery for Communication, as there is still an impenetrable silence surrounding the event. This is despite the controversy over the images of around a thousand pilgrims entering St Peter’s Basilica on 6 December.
The LGBT Jubilee event was always expected to be controversial. After its initial inclusion, it was removed from the official calendar, but then reinstated. Ultimately, what was widely predictable in the absence of monitoring occurred: instead of carrying the 2025 Jubilee cross designed by Riccardo Izzi and made available to all groups, the pilgrimage participants entered the Holy Door of the Basilica behind a rainbow cross. In a place of worship where the dress code of tens of thousands of daily visitors is carefully monitored, a male couple participating in the pilgrimage was photographed wearing a backpack bearing the slogan ‘Fuck the rules’. These scenes ended up on social media and provoked indignation among many faithful people around the world, reigniting the controversy over the appropriateness of the event. In short, it was a predictable outcome that has damaged the image of Leo XIV’s pontificate.
Sadly, all this could have been easily avoided if those responsible had exercised intelligence and prudence. The attentive Vaticanist Diane Montagna had even sounded the alarm in advance by writing to the director of the press office, Matteo Bruni, to warn him that rainbow material displayed on that occasion could ‘dominate the news cycle rather than the canonisations’. As he often does when faced with requests from journalists, Bruni replied that he would look into the matter, but then disappeared. Even afterwards, when questioned by an American Vatican correspondent about the possibility of issuing a statement regarding the incident, he did not respond. Yesterday, Daily Compass also wrote to Bruni to ask what the Vatican’s communications department intends to do in response to the uproar following the pilgrimage. At the time of writing, no response has been received. Ultimately, Montagna’s concerns were proven correct, even if the news of the elevation to sainthood of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati was not overshadowed, the events of 6 September in the Basilica continue to be the focus of public attention.
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