Vatican City: In a deeply moving moment of spiritual grace and inclusion, Pope Leo XIV welcomed a unique group of pilgrims from Venice on Thursday among them, three inmates from the Santa Maria Maggiore Prison. The audience, held at the Vatican, marked the culmination of a remarkable Jubilee pilgrimage that fused penitence, perseverance, and pastoral outreach.
The group’s pilgrimage began in Venice and covered nearly 500 kilometers, with the final leg 100 kilometers from Terni to Rome undertaken on foot. It was not just a physical journey, but one of inner renewal and shared humanity, echoing the central themes of the ongoing Jubilee Year.
Accompanying the pilgrims were Archbishop Francesco Moraglia, Patriarch of Venice, and Father Massimo Cadamuro, the prison chaplain who has long advocated for faith-based rehabilitation. Diocesan officials and volunteers also joined the inmates on this symbolic journey of hope and healing.
Ahead of the papal audience, Father Cadamuro reflected on the significance of the pilgrimage:
“This meeting with Pope Leo truly crowns our path a journey not only of distance, but of transformation. It was a walk taken under the sign of hopeful trust, essential for the dignity and rebirth of every human being, whether behind bars or beyond them.”
Santa Maria Maggiore’s prison director, Enrico Farina, also took part in the event and expressed heartfelt pride in what he called “an intense human and spiritual voyage.” Farina shared that each inmate would receive a blank journal containing reflections and prayers inspired by the pilgrimage a space for them to continue writing their stories of redemption.
Archbishop Moraglia, who previously led a Jubilee audience for seminarians from Venice in June, described the inmates' pilgrimage as “another precious gift” granted by Pope Leo XIV. He noted that the Pope had personally accepted the inmates’ request for a meeting a gesture that resonates with the pontiff’s continued emphasis on mercy and marginal inclusion.
“This experience,” said the Patriarch, “will leave an indelible imprint not only on the souls of the inmates but on the hearts of everyone who walked with them, from volunteers to prison officials to diocesan ministers.”
The Archdiocese of Venice views this pilgrimage and audience as a cornerstone in its broader mission for the pastoral care of prisoners. Archbishop Moraglia recently held talks with Italy’s Justice Minister, Carlo Nordio, to address prison conditions and the importance of reintegration programs that promote dignity, responsibility, and second chances.
As the inmates stood before the Pope, the walls that typically divide society between incarceration and freedom seemed momentarily dissolved. In their place stood communion, compassion, and the quiet but powerful witness of lives in transformation.
In the spirit of the Jubilee, this encounter was not simply a milestone for three inmates it was a message to the world: that no road is too long, no soul too lost, to return to light.