Rome, 13–17 November 2023 — His Grace ✠Jerome, Primus of the Old Roman Apostolate, travelled to the Eternal City for a week-long pilgrimage, offering prayer at the four major basilicas of Rome and engaging in informal meetings as part of the Apostolate’s ongoing mission to uphold and defend the perennial Catholic faith.
The pilgrimage, His Grace’s first return to Rome in several years, came at what he described as a “critical time for the universal Church,” with widespread confusion in doctrine, liturgy, and governance afflicting the faithful across the world.
During his visit, the Primus prayed at the four papal basilicas — St Peter’s, St John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Walls, and St Mary Major — invoking the intercession of the Apostles and the Mother of God for the Church’s renewal. These basilicas, he observed, remain “living witnesses to the unbroken tradition of Catholicism and enduring symbols of the Church’s unity and universality.”
Reflecting on the visit, His Grace noted with sorrow the changed atmosphere in Rome:
“Once vibrant with pilgrims, so many holy places are now dominated by tourists. Churches stand closed or in disrepair, and even among the clergy there is a fatigue, a heaviness, which mirrors the wider malaise in the Church. Yet the basilicas proclaim the permanence of the Faith: stones may crumble and men may falter, but Christ’s promise endures.”
The Primus also underscored the importance of Rome for the Old Roman Apostolate’s mission:
“As Old Romans, we have no pretensions of replacing the centre of unity that is Rome. Our mission is to bear witness to Catholic tradition faithfully, so that when renewal comes — and it must — Rome may again shine as the beacon of truth and order. To pray in the Eternal City is to be reminded that fidelity, not novelty, sustains the Church.”
Informal meetings during the visit included discussions with clergy and lay Catholics concerned about safeguarding tradition and resisting the erosion of doctrine and morality in contemporary ecclesial life. His Grace indicated that further reflections on these encounters and the current state of Rome would be issued in due course.
The Old Roman Apostolate continues to expand its work across four continents, committed to sustaining authentic Catholic worship, preaching, and teaching during this time of crisis, with fidelity to the perennial magisterium and hope for the restoration of the Church’s integrity.
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