By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Apr 29, 2025 / 16:49 pm
Thousands of people from more than 90 countries gathered in Rome this week to celebrate the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of People with Disabilities.
Wheelchairs rolled across cobblestones and walking aids clicked on the marble floors of St. Peter’s Basilica as people with disabilities passed through the Holy Door for the Jubilee of Hope, entrusting their prayers to the Lord.
“I pray for a better world, I pray for a world where inclusion becomes a normality,” 18-year-old Anna Maria Gargiulo from Perugia, Italy, told CNA.
“I am blind from birth, but for me this is not a problem,” she added. “I experience it rather as a possibility, because I look at the world with different eyes.”
More than 10,000 participants registered to take part in the April 28–29 event at the Vatican, which included an opportunity to have confessions heard by priests specifically trained to work with people with disabilities and time to adore the Lord in Eucharistic adoration.
Among those who traveled to the jubilee was Davide Andreoli, 32, from Ferrara, Italy. Living with cerebral palsy, he made his pilgrimage with his family and spoke with joy about the experience: “It’s beautiful! You can see the jubilee, Piazza del Popolo, Rome, the Colosseum.”
Welcome to the Jubilee of People with Disabilities
As the Jubilee of People with Disabilities unfolds, stories of faith, hope, and resilience are emerging from St. Peter’s Square. One such story is that of Andreoli, who shared his experience of making a confession before passing through the Holy Door, offering a prayer for the late Pope Francis.
“I pray to God. For our pope, Pope Francis,” Andreoli said, reflecting the sentiments of many participants in the Jubilee.
Amidst the crowds in St. Peter’s Square, families are finding strength in their faith to overcome life’s challenges. Wanda Martena, whose oldest son has special needs, spoke about the importance of family love and unity in facing difficulties. “Our family is a very close family, and we love each other very much and are happy. I have two children who are our jewels,” she shared, with her son Alessandro adding, “We face everything with a smile.”
Michael Busuioc, a Romanian man living with Parkinson’s disease in the Vatican’s homeless shelter founded by Pope Francis, recalled a touching moment with the pontiff during last year’s World Day of the Poor. “Pope Francis prayed for me. I tell him, ‘Pray for me because I have a disease, Parkinson.’ He put his hand on my head and prayed,” Busuioc recalled, displaying a photo of the heartfelt moment.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, leading the Church’s jubilee year, offered Mass in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for the participants, praying that the legacy of Pope Francis would continue to inspire mercy and inclusion in the Church.
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Corina Ciunae, a participant from Romania, joined the Jubilee with her scouting group, adding to the diverse tapestry of faith and hope in St. Peter’s Square.
