After long-awaited and carefully planned preparations, our Order took part, during the Holy Year of hope and joy 2025, from 21 to 23 October, in a common pilgrimage to Rome. From Finland, 15 Dames, Knights, and companions participated under the leadership of Bishop Raimo. Thus, half of our Lieutenancy took part in this significant and memorable pilgrimage. The next Holy Year will be celebrated in Rome in 2033, two thousand years after the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the following Holy Year, in 2050, few of us will likely still be able to participate.
The international jubilee of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Rome was celebrated under the leadership of the Grand Master, four Vice Grand Masters, and the Governors. In total, more than 3,600 Knights and Dames from all continents were present, representing over ten per cent of the entire Order. On behalf of all Knights and Dames, the Grand Master, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, presented Pope Leo XIV with an icon of Our Lady of Palestine, created especially for the Pope. The Pope thanked the Order for the gift and reminded the Knights and Dames of the importance of pilgrimages and of the Order’s mission as guardians of the Holy Sepulchre and supporters of the Church in Jerusalem. On Thursday, 23 October, the Pope received all the pilgrims. In his address, he expressed his gratitude for the assistance that the Knights and Dames provide to the many needs of the Holy Land.
On Tuesday, 21 October, we participated in the first Mass at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Before the celebration of the Mass, we entered the church through the Holy Door according to ancient tradition. This basilica is of particular importance, as it houses the relics of Saint Paul. The Mass was celebrated under the leadership of Cardinal Fernando Filoni. As we listened to the Cardinal’s homily, each pilgrim had the opportunity to renew a personal encounter with Christ. The Mass was beautiful, and Bishop Raimo served as cross-bearer.
On the following day, the pilgrims entered the Basilica of Saint John Lateran through its doors. According to ancient tradition, the wooden altar of Saint Peter is located there. In his homily, Cardinal Filoni recalled that Saint Peter gave his life for the Church and reflected on Peter’s role within the Church. At the same time, the Grand Master encouraged the pilgrims to renew within themselves their faith, hope, and charity. That same afternoon, we entered the Basilica of Saint Mary Major through its doors. The basilica was consecrated by Pope Sixtus III after the Council of Ephesus in 431, at which the divine motherhood of the Virgin Mary was affirmed. The beautiful yet simple tomb of Pope Francis is located in this basilica. In silence, the pilgrims meditated and prayed the Rosary.
On the final day, 23 October, following the papal audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the pilgrims processed through the Holy Doors of Saint Peter’s Basilica and celebrated Holy Mass there under the leadership of Cardinal Filoni. He quoted, among others, Saint Ambrose: “Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia” (“Where Peter is, there is the Church”). The Governor General, Ambassador Leonardo Visconti di Modrone, who served as the chief organiser of the pilgrimage, thanked all the pilgrims for their participation and noted that the pilgrimage had strengthened our faith and our love for the Holy Land. One pilgrim remarked that our model is Saint Bartolo Longo, a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, whom the Pope canonised on 19 October. Bartolo Longo had a profound love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the model for all Knights and Dames.
The pilgrimage to Rome was a deeply significant spiritual event for the Finnish pilgrims, even though the long waiting times and queues were at times demanding. The sense of fellowship was strong, and a particularly enjoyable shared moment was the dinner at a typical Italian restaurant in Trastevere.
Our faith, our hope, our prayers, and our support for the Holy Land were strengthened in Rome as a result of this holy pilgrimage of hope.
Mikael Paul