One of the most intense experiences to live on a holiday in Rome is surely the audience with the Pope, a moment very heart-felt by the faithful as it allows believers to listen to the reflections of the Pope and to receive the apostolic blessing. It is not a matter of attending a Mass, but of spending a moment of confrontation with the Holy Father, who receives the faithful every Wednesday (and some Saturdays) at Saint Peter’s Square or in the Paul VI Audience Hall.
In the warm months, when the Pope moves to the summer residence, general audiences are held at Castel Gandolfo.
During the audience there are no individual meetings, but when there are not many people the Pope often lends himself to photos and direct contacts with the faithful.
The papal audience usually begins at 10.30 a.m. and, apart from the initial greeting in the language of each faithful present, the reflections of the Pope are held in Italian and repeated in the main international languages.
Particular attention is given to the elderly, the sick and couples married for less than two months, to whom the Pope reserves special areas close to him. For the latter, however, it is necessary to attach a request from the priest, in which he attests, the date and the Church in which the marriage was celebrated and the names of the spouses.
A great moment of faith to live for all those who, even for spiritual reasons, decide to organize a trip to Rome.
How to book tickets for the audience with the Pope
To participate in the papal audience it is necessary to request the tickets, which are free of charge and, to obtain them, you must write to:
Prefecture of the Papal Household
00120 Vatican City State
through the request form downloadable from the Vatican website, indicating:
- Date of the General audience or Liturgical celebration
- Number of tickets required
- Name / Group
- Mailing Address
- Telephone and Fax numbers
The request can be sent by ordinary mail (to the address indicated above) or by fax to +39 06.69885863.
Tickets must be collected from 03.00 p.m. to 07.30 p.m. on the day before the audience or on the same morning from 7.30 a.m., at the appropriate office inside the Bronze Door of the Apostolic Palace, located under the right-hand colonnade in St Peter’s Square.
For any information, please contact the Prefecture of the Papal Household at +39 06.69883114 (Mon-Fri 08.30 a.m. -01.30 p.m.).
Useful information to attend the papal audience
Security checks
In order to participate in the papal audience it is necessary to undergo security checks which, however, take away a lot of time.
When the audience takes place in St. Peter’s Square, the checks are carried out at the height of the porticoes on both sides of the square.
When the audience takes place in the Paul VI Hall, it is advisable to arrive about 2 hours and 30 minutes before to find seats (the room contains about 6,000 seats).
The clothing
Some advice on clothing: this must be appropriate and respectful of the place. On the Vatican website are also provided indications about: the shoulders must be covered and the shorts and skirts must reach the height of the knee. Otherwise, there is the risk of being rejected by security after spending time in the queue and not being able to attend the audience, and it would be a real shame. Therefore, better get informed first and go prepared.
Advice on where to stay
To live this evocative experience of meeting with the greatest exponent of the Church, the best place to stay is Ostia, which allows you to stay outside the chaos of the city but to reach the centre of the capital in a few minutes and by any means of transportation.
Rome4guest offers numerous solutions of apartments ideal both for families and for small groups of people, and provides all the useful information to enjoy without stress a fantastic stay in the beautiful Italian capital.