The passing of Pope Francis in the Jubilee Year: what it means for religious tourism in the weeks to come

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The passing of Pope Francis on Monday, 21st April, came as a shock to the world, one that will have an impact on various aspects of everyday life including travel in the context of religious tourism.

The Roman Catholic Church is currently marking a Holy Year, colloquially known as a Jubilee, and it does so every 25 years, giving pilgrims an opportunity to seek expiation for their sins by travelling to various designated and / or known sites to seek absolution through devotional prayer, acts of faith and charity, confession, and attendance at Mass.

Vatican City, the Church’s seat of power, ranks first among these sites and, prior to the Pope’s death, was anticipating the arrival of up to 35 million religious tourists throughout this year.

But the passing and funeral of a ruling Pontiff are, in and of themselves, events of historical significance for both religious and secular travellers.

If we are to look back 20 years to the passing of the much-loved Pope John Paul II, records show that over two million travellers made their way to Rome to pay their respects, and St Peter’s Square overran with four million attendees for the funeral itself on 8th April 2005.

Many of the travellers present actually stayed longer to witness another historical moment: the election of Benedict XVI as Pope on 19th April of that same year.

Now, going back to the present, what may travellers expect over the next few days and weeks as Pope Francis is laid to his rest and the Church convenes to nominate and elect his successor?

Not quite business as usual

As of press time, Vatican officials have not announced the date on which the late Pope’s body will be brought to St Peter’s Basilica to lie in state, but the faithful from all around the world have begun flocking to the Eternal City as early as noon of Monday, 21st April, almost as soon as the news broke regarding the death of Pope Francis.

It should be noted at this point that, per Roman and Vatican authorities, the majority of accommodations, dining establishments, museums, and transportation hubs will remain open throughout the nine-day Novemdiales [mourning period].

However, tourists are being advised to be more patient and forebearing, given how officials are beginning to see a surge in the number of travellers making their way to Italy and, subsequently, to Rome.

At the same time, tour operators are already issuing advisories to their clients regarding the closure of a number of areas within Vatican City, specifically parts of St Peter’s Basilica, St Peter’s Square, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major), and the Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel, in particular, will be closed to the public throughout the Conclave wherein eligible cardinals will convene to elect the next Pontiff by virtue of an extra omnes (everyone out) order; telecommunications within the area will also be prohibited or jammed to prevent external factors influencing the outcome of the election.

Also, given the magnitude of upcoming events, travellers should not be surprised at heightened police or military presence throughout the next three weeks, along with the placement of security checkpoints leading into Vatican City.

On events within Vatican City

Prior to the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican was supposed to host two upcoming events that have significance for Christian religious tourism: the Jubilee of Teenagers celebrating the faith of young people which was supposed to run from 25th to 27th April, and the canonisation of young saint Carlo Acutis.

The canonisation rites have been postponed, though authorities have yet to give a new date for them, and the programme for the Jubilee weekend has likewise been modified in light of recent events.

Pilgrims travelling to Rome for the event ought to check in with their pilgrimage organiser or travel agency to see if there are any significant changes to their itineraries.

For those wishing to pay their respects to the late Pontiff, his mortal remains are, at press time, in lying in state at the Domus Santa Marta where he lived throughout his pontificate.

He will be brought to St Peter’s Basilica where the faithful may pay their respects and where he will lie in state until the funeral which begins at 10am local time on Saturday, 26th April.

While admission to the funeral is free and open to all, it is prudent to reserve a place in advance as the capacity of St Peter’s Square only runs to around 300,000, though crowds are expected to spill over into city streets.

A final journey

While not as extensively travelled as Pope John Paul II who famously took 104 overseas trips to 129 countries in a papacy that spanned over two decades, Pope Francis made his way to the four corners of the earth 45 times in his nearly 13-year-long pontificate.

But both men considered themselves pilgrims making their way around the globe to express their faith by meeting the richness and diversity of human culture in person, using the medium of travel to bring hope and joy to those who needed it the most.

Pope Francis’ own final journey will be brief: the distance between St Peter’s and Santa Maria Maggiore can be traversed by car in a mere 21 minutes, but the intrepid traveller who so inspired many to make their own spiritual journeys, the one who ironically never made his way back home, will come to his well-earned rest at the end of a long journey from Argentina to the world.

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