The religious and spiritual significance of pilgrimage
The Christian pilgrimage is a journey made to spiritually retrace the discipleship of Jesus and to symbolically represent one's purpose to walk towards Him. It can also be an expression of penance and normally has a sacred place as its destination.
The pilgrimage is a purposeful journey, a time that the individual carves out from the ongoing ordinary fabric of his life (places, relationships, making a living), to connect with God.
The pilgrimage therefore implies a choice. Those who embark on a pilgrimage do not happen to be foreign, but make themselves foreign, embracing the hardships and risks, both interior and material, that this entails, in view of its spiritual benefits: meeting God in a distant place.
The main Christian pilgrimages
Singing is an element that blends seamlessly with prayer, as evidenced by the importance of sacred music in the tradition of the Church. For this reason, a hymn for the Jubilee was composed by the composer Pierangelo Sequeri, the title of which recalls the motto of the event: Pilgrims of hope.
This words touch on the different focal themes of this Jubilee, such as creation, fraternity, God's tenderness and hope in the destination.
Pilgrimage today
In contemporary society, pilgrimage takes on different aspects for each individual. It often arises from the desire to break with routine and reconnect with oneself, one's ideas and values, one's faith and emotions. It is a search for self and God that frequently also involves contact with other people, often strangers, who share this experience.
It is an intense experience, which is carried with us throughout life and which often changes our way of living our daily life and faith.
Pilgrimages in Italy
In Italy there are numerous paths that pass through places of worship of international importance for the faithful, breathtaking natural landscapes and incomparable historic villages. Level of difficulty vary, as do distances.
Discover all the pilgrimages in Lazio and in Rome
The steps to organise a pilgrimage
1.
Choose the destination or the route you intend to take: during 2025, the year of the Jubilee in Rome, you could choose a route that has the Eternal City as its destination or as a stop.
2.
Who do you want to go with? Choose whether you prefer to do this walk alone, with friends or family, or with a group of strangers. Departure on your own is not advisable if you are not an experienced walker or are unfamiliar with the areas.
3.
Decide how much time you want to spend on the road, taking into account both the days you have available and what you think is the most appropriate distance for you from a physical point of view.
4.
Remember to carry the essentials in your backpack: comfortable and temperature-appropriate clothing, a water bottle, a raincoat, a hat and sunglasses, sunscreen. Check out the online store.