As the Vatican prepares to welcome a series of events organized by the LGBTQ community during the 2025 Roman Catholic Jubilee, a Sri Lankan cardinal has sharply criticized efforts to expand rights for same-sex couples in his country.
Next week, approximately 1,000 pilgrims from around 30 countries will travel to Rome for a three-day LGBTQ pilgrimage, organized by the Italian group La Tenda di Gionata (“Jonathan’s Tent”). The event will feature a multilingual prayer vigil on September 5, a Mass and procession through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, and conclude with the Angelus prayer led by Pope Leo XIV on September 7.
Bishop Francesco Savino, vice president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, who will preside over the group’s Mass, said the inclusion reflects the Church’s mission to welcome all individuals, “regardless of background or life choices.” The Vatican, which listed the pilgrimage on its official Jubilee calendar in December 2024 under the late Pope Francis, stressed that listing the event does not constitute official endorsement.
While Pope Francis had allowed blessings for same-sex couples, his successor, Pope Leo XIV, has reaffirmed marriage as “between a man and a woman,” though he continues to uphold Francis’ directive on blessings.
Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith condemned what he described as a “sinister move” to legalize same-sex marriages, claiming that some international organizations, with political backing, are enabling young people to undergo gender transformation certified by psychiatrists. He argued that such practices could undermine social norms rooted in Buddhist culture.
Ranjith emphasized, however, that individuals of different sexual orientations should not face harassment. His comments have sparked debate on social media, with some pointing out Supreme Court rulings and comparisons to neighboring India, where homosexuality is legal but same-sex marriage remains unrecognized.
