Inauguration of the Pilgrims’ Center for the 2025 Jubilee by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin.

Inauguration of the Pilgrims’ Center for the 2025 Jubilee by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin.

The inauguration of the new Pilgrims’ Center and Information Point - situated at number 7 on the Via della Conciliazione  - took place today at noon in the presence of the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who has been tasked by Pope Francis with the organization of the 2025 Jubilee Year.

After cutting the ribbon, Cardinal Parolin blessed the premises, which are already fitted out and functioning, more than a year ahead of the official opening of the Jubilee Year, to allow tourists and pilgrims to find out in advance about the Holy Year and organize their own pilgrimage to Rome.

After blessing the premises, the Cardinal said: “The opening of the Pilgrims’ Center seems to me to be an important step forward as we prepare for the Jubilee of 2025. The number of pilgrims expected to come to Rome means that complex preparations have to be made. 

“I believe what we said in the prayer is very important. We asked the Lord to grant that those who come here as tourists and pilgrims ‘may find rest and welcome in mind and body.’  We want the experience of coming to Rome on pilgrimage to be a family experience. This is the visible center of the Catholic faith, and my hope is that everyone coming here will feel themselves to be children of a mother who wishes to embrace them all.  I also want to thank all those who are working to prepare for the Jubilee year.”

Archbishop Fisichella said: “The Center has been operational since the beginning of June, and many pilgrims have already come in to ask for information from our staff on how to take part in the Jubilee year and how to become volunteers. After the experience of the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, we know that pilgrims and tourists need a place like this, and when they come here, they will always find a team of people ready to help them.  Their aim is to give visitors a sense of that warm welcome which the Holy See wishes to offer.”

Visitors can also find out about serving as volunteers during the months of the Jubilee. The Pilgrims’ Center will be open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. At the Pilgrims Center – Info Point people can find out how to participate in the Holy Year, how to enroll for a pilgrimage to the Holy Door and learn about the events being planned.  Also on offer will be information on how to serve as a Holy Year volunteer and how to organize a pilgrimage. 

The new center will also serve as a distribution point for printed material such as leaflets and flyers which will contain information about the Jubilee and the various Roman itineraries which have been prepared, such as the Pilgrimage of the Seven Churches, the itinerary of female saints who are Doctors of the Church and Patrons of Europe and the itinerary of the Churches of Europe.