For the first time, over 1,000 LGBTQ Catholics and their supporters participated in a pilgrimage to the Vatican this weekend as part of the Catholic Church's Jubilee holy year, marking a significant step towards greater diversity and inclusion within the Church.

• 1,400 people from approximately 20 countries gathered for the pilgrimage.
• Organized by La Tenda di Gionata (The Tent of Jonathon), an Italian association advocating for inclusivity.
• This pilgrimage is the first of its kind to be featured on the official Jubilee programme.
• Yveline Behets, a 68-year-old transgender woman from Brussels, walked 130 kilometers (80 miles) to attend.
• The pilgrimage symbolizes a push for acceptance within a religious institution that has historically viewed homosexual acts as contrary to its teachings.
• The late Pope Francis and current Pope Leo XIV have made overtures to the LGBTQ community, with Francis's 2023 decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples facing opposition, particularly in Africa.