Rome: Westminster pilgrims attend Jubilee of Justice

Our group after Mass at Santa Maria in Trastavere with Francisco from the Sant'Edigeo community.

A group of ten pilgrims organised by Fr Dominic Robinson SJ and Colette Joyce from Westminster Justice and Peace visited Rome last weekend for the Jubilee of Justice. We stayed at the Villa Lante Center, run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in a great location - just a short distance from St Peter's Basilica, the Roman Forum, Colosseum and the River Tiber.

On the Saturday we joined the crowds in St Peter's Square where there was a formal welcome by Archbishop Rino Fisichella and a lecture by Archbishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta on the theme: 'Iustitia Imago Dei: the Operator of Justice as an Instrument of Hope'. Pope Leo then arrived and gave a reflection on the meaning of justice and its function in society. "Justice is indispensable, both for the orderly development of society and as a cardinal virtue that inspires and guides the conscience of every man and woman," he said. Read the full text of Pope Leo's catechesis here: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/53339

It was a very hot day - over 30c. Some members of the groups waited for several hours in the queue to go through the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica (they never got there) while others went exploring. Cecilia and I saw some beautiful sculptures by Timothy Schmalz and some little brass plaques on the pavement outside houses where Jewish people had been arrested and taken to concentration camps during WW2.

In the evening we attended Mass at Santa Maria in Trastavere where we met Francisco from the Sant'Edigeo community. Founded in 1968, they engage in prayer, serving the poor and marginalised and the pursuit of peace. At Christmas, Francisco said, they have a special dinner for hundreds of people in their church - and each guest receives a special present chosen for them personally, with their name on it. Francisco took us to the Trattoria de gli Amici in Piazza Sant'Egidio where we had a delicious supper prepared and served by people with disabilities who work there.

A highlight of our next day was a visit to the Basilica of St Mary Major - which also had a Holy Door that we were able to pass through without a long queue! This was the church that Pope Francis visited each time before he made an international journey, to pray before the Icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani. On his return he would always stop there again, to give thanks. This time we spent a few moments praying before his tomb - and his beloved icon.

Afterwards we walked back to Villa Lante, past the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. In the evening we had our final meal together in another beautiful restaurant - but we are planning to have a reunion soon. Altogether it was a wonderful pilgrimage! Many thanks to Colette and Fr Dominic for making it possible.

Carolyn Morrison told ICN: "It was a great honour for the Westminster Justice & Peace pilgrimage group to enter through one of the four Holy Doors in Rome (Porta Santa) and to pay our respects to Pope Francis in this Jubilee Year of Hope. We prayed for our loved ones, our communities, and for a world to be filled with hope, love and peace. "

Cecilia Bullock, J&P rep for Harefield parish and Laudato Si Animator said: "I was so taken with the commitment of Francesco and the Sant'Egidio community with their ethos of prayer, service to the poor and peace. Also, I will never ever forget standing in front of tomb of Pope Francis and feeling the poignancy of that extraordinarily simple but powerful image."

Musician and songwriter Vincent Patrick Bottomley who joined us from Barcelona, where he is involved with the Catalan Justicia i Pau group, said he enjoyed all the activities (especially the corralling at the Holy Door!) but mostly the opportunity on pilgrimage to get to know our group and our stories.

Hilda McCafferty J&P rep at Our Lady of Fatima White City, Cafod volunteer who is involved in a charity providing English classes for Migrants said: "I particularly appreciated the time we spent eating with and learning about the Sant Egidio Community in Rome."

David Toorawa from Hemel Hempstead Catholic J&P group said: "Our Rome pilgrimage was a great refresher both spiritually and physically and it has been great to catch up with "old" friends and acquire new ones. The high point after after spending Saturday afternoon kettled in the colonnade was to pass through the Holy Door to pay our respects to the late Pope Francis at Santa Maria Maggiore."

Colette Joyce told ICN: "It was a wonderful opportunity to join with Pope Leo and other Catholics from around the world to reflect on the nature of justice in this Jubilee year and its essential place in the life of the Church. As we sang on arrival in our gathering prayer, 'There is a longing in our hearts' for justice that we only find in God.

"I was particularly moved by the talk given by Archbishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta as he reflected on the idea that justice is the 'Imago Dei' - the Image of God. ' Those who administer justice should reflect God's own nature and be instruments of hope.' Those who advocate for justice should therefore do likewise.

This pilgrimage has refreshed and renewed me to continue striving for a more just world."

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