Pilgrims throughout Rome

Rome: the profession of faith (professio fidei)

“…Peter and Paul are together founders of the new Christian Rome… because of their martyrdom they are now part of Rome… through their faith and their love, the two Apostles indicate where true hope lies and they are founders of a new type of city, which must always form itself anew in the human city… Peter and Paul are forever in reciprocal relationship; In the witness for which they give their lives they are one.”

(His Holiness Benedict XVI – Papal Chapel Homily on the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul – June 29, 2008)

Rome is the city that saw the testimony of great saints, such as Saints Peter and Paul, and was chosen as the Seat of Peter and guardian of the Apostolic Tradition.

The Options offered to Rome include a series of experiential itineraries organized in stages:

1.    Prayer and reflection on the theme of faith;

2.    Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of the Eucharist;

3.    Encounter with the Saints, witnesses of faith and spirituality;

4.    Solemn Profession of Faith in Saint Peter’s Basilica and hearing the Word by the Successor of Peter.   

On the road towards Peter with the Creed: Steps

7 routes in 4 steps will bring the faithful, according to the invitation of the Pope, to rediscover the contents of prayed and meditated, celebrated, lived and professed faith.

And the Creed, the symbol with which the Church has collected the nucleus of the fundamental truths of its own faith, will guide the faithful through several moments of meditation and celebration in the various Roman churches and basilicas in order to confirm ones faith, following the tradition of the reddditio symboli of the first Christian communities with the public profession of faith at the tomb of Peter.

Step 1: Prayed faith, “I believe in one God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and the earth”.

Step 2: Celebrated faith “I believe in on Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of the God.  I profess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins”.

Step 3: Lived faith “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life …I believe in one, holy Catholic and Apostolic Church”.

Step 4: Professed faith “Amen”

Places and itineraries

Given the wealth and abundance of sacred places in Rome, we have chosen seven alternative itineraries – each laid out in 4 steps – through which to follow the Way of the Creed.  These itineraries pass through various areas of Rome but all converge in the fourth and final stage: Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Every itinerary is intended to allow pilgrims to carry out the itinerary on foot and reach the specific basilicas and churches. The 7 itineraries all converge at Saint Peter’s Basilica.

All places will be marked in an appropriate way.  Printed explanatory pamphlets will be made available in order to permit the faithful to discover and fully live specific moments of prayer and reflection. In this way it will be possible to discover all the beauty of the places visited, symbolic of the faith of so many generations of Christians that have lived in or visited Rome. 

The Pilgrim Credential

As was the practice in the tradition of the great roads of Christian Europe, including the road to Santiago de Compostela, the various stages completed by each pilgrim will be confirmed by a small, yet important signs, a stamp and an adhesive. 

These signs will be applied on a credential-booklet that will be given to each pilgrim at the beginning of the journey. It will be a simple, but important memorial of this brief and intense experience lived in Rome during the Year of Faith. 

How it works

On arrival in Rome, you will be able to pick up your credential (Kit Annus Fidei). Choose the itinerary that you wish to participate in; you can choose between seven possible itineraries.  Each time you visit one of the churches and basilicas in the 4 stages, you will be able to place a stamp on the appropriate space that you will find on the credential. The fourth and final stage is at the Basilica of St. Peter. Here you will be able to conclude your journey with the Solemn Profession of Faith.

For further information on the Annus Fidei itineraries,
please contact Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (e-mail)
or visit the website (www.operaromanapellegrinaggi.org)