Chair of Welcoming
Chair of Welcoming: third edition at Fraterna Domus in Sacrofano (RM) March 25-28, 2025
The third edition of the Chair of Welcoming will be held at Fraterna Domus in Sacrofano (RM), just 19 kilometers from the Vatican, in the Pope’s diocese. The initiative, hosted in the Citadel of Welcoming, is a unique opportunity to deepen the anthropological, sociological, religious and ethical profiles of welcoming, analyzing the main challenges that characterize the processes of inclusion and solidarity in our time.
The Chair of Welcoming was established at the instigation of the Sisters of the Association of Volunteers in Christian Social Service – Fraterna Domus, to promote the culture of solidarity and the art of encounter and dialogue. The goal is to respond to a growing awareness of a “biblical-theological illiteracy” that sometimes accompanies commitment to hospitality, which is often based on impulses and “good intentions” but lacks adequate cultural and spiritual preparation.
Thanks to the collaboration with the Pontifical Lateran University and the membership of numerous organizations: Association of Christian Social Service Volunteers – Fraterna Domus, Acli – Christian Associations of Italian Workers, Pope John XXIII Community Association, Italian Catholic Action, C.N.C.A. – Coordinamento Nazionale Comunità Accoglienti, Centro Servizi Volontariato Lazio, Community of Sant’Egidio, Congregation of the Mission – Vincentian Missionaries Italy, Cooperativa Auxilium, Migrantes Foundation, Fondazione San Vito Onlus, Greenaccord, Tevere Institute, Opera Mons. Gioacchino Di Leo ODV.
The initiative aims to encourage a deep and concrete reflection on reception also starting from the words of Pope Francis, who during the 2023 meeting emphasized:
“Vulnerability can become a category, people faceless individuals, service a performance. Vulnerable people, welcomed with the grace of Christ, can be a Gospel presence in the community and society.”
The 2025 Edition: Pilgrims of Hope
This year, the Chair is inspired by the Jubilee themes “Pilgrims of Hope,” delving into how hope can transform our individual and collective lives. Three central themes of the edition:
- Integral Ecology
- Planetary justice
- Modern Slavery.
Hope is understood here as a concrete and utopian force, capable of illuminating the present, nurturing welcoming practices and opening spaces of freedom in the everyday. Starting from the Bull of Indiation of the Ordinary Jubilee “Spes non confundit,” the reflection will focus on the profound link between land, humanity and rights.
Structure of the days
The training will consist of several activities:
- Plenaries: in-depth thematic discussions with experts
- Conversations: dialogues between multiple speakers to explore different visions
- Workshop laboratories: practical exercises based on participants’ experiences
- Counterpoints of welcome and hope: significant encounters and testimonies
This year, the theme of Counterpoints will be #ArtsAgainstIndifference, celebrating the power of art, creativity and culture as tools against indifference. Art can turn on lights where shadows reign, create dialogue where there is silence and generate connection in our communities.
A call to reflection and action
The Welcoming Chair aims to unite theory and practice, giving voice to the concrete experiences of the social organizations involved. It is a time of training, inspiration and exchange, designed for those who wish to rediscover hope as an engine of social transformation.
Join us in Sacrofano, where welcome and hope become a living, shared experience.
View the program on the Chair of Welcoming website
Learn more about the webinars and watch video recordings of the meetings