The historic joint pilgrimage “From Rome to New Rome” spent its first full day in the Eternal City yesterday, July 16, 2025, with Orthodox and Catholic faithful taking in some of the city’s countless religious and cultural treasures, including two more of the Papal Basilicas of Rome and some of the earliest extant examples of Christian catacombs.
Though the day’s visits were filled with historic significance, ancient relics, and artistic grandeur, the highlight came in a quiet moment of contemplation and prayer: below St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican Grottoes, the faithful participated in a prayer service for Christian unity. Led by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the prayer is the first of four such services to be led by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and the Cardinal over the course of the pilgrimage. Focusing on creation as God’s work, the service allowed the faithful to pause and worship together in recognition of what our two traditions share. “It’s special to pray together,” reflected one pilgrim.
Beginning the day was a visit to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, the oldest of the four papal basilicas and the main seat of the bishop of Rome until the 14th century, when St. Peter’s Basilica became the primary seat. Nearby, the Sancta Sanctorum contains the Holy Stairs, understood to be the same ones that Christ climbed on the day of his capital sentencing by Pontius Pilate. Pilgrims laboriously climbed the stairs on their knees, offering a moving display of Christian piety and devotion.
Next, the faithful visited the Catacombs of San Sebastiano, which at the end of the 2nd century were transformed into a Christian Necropolis dedicated to Sts. Peter and Paul and contains over 65,000 tombs. They also toured the Vatican Necropolis, which is a pre-Constantinian-era catacomb located in the Vatican Caves and notably contains the tomb of St. Peter, martyred in the square above. Both catacomb sites contain family mausoleums covered in Christian symbols like the chi-rho, fish, doves, and orans figures–an early-Christian analogue of our modern-day icon corners.
The remainder of the day was spent exploring the Vatican City, including St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican’s jewel and the world’s largest church interior. The visitors also spent time in the Vatican Museums, a complex containing priceless antiquities, renowned works of art, and the Sistine Chapel, where they reveled in the beauty of Michaelangelo’s stunning frescoes.
Photos by Orthodox Observer/Brittainy Newman
