Many Catholics want to attend a General Papal Audience [GPA] when on holiday in Rome, or making a pilgrimage to the “Throne of St. Peter” in the Vatican City.
St. Peter’s Square—which is mostly an ellipse!—can accommodate up to 10,000 people. During very hot or cold weather the audiences are held in the Paul VI Audience Hall / Nervi Hall which can fit ~6,000 people.
Some find that the Holy Father’s timetable does not coincide with theirs (!) but a little planning can make attending a Wednesday GPA easy…ish!
Tickets for the GPA are FREE, but you must have one! (Curiously, security did not check my ticket going in!)
Remember that there are no GPA’s in July or if the Pope is away or on major Church holidays. (NB: The Pope’s calendar is on the Prefecture of the Papal Household’s web-page.)
More on ticketing below.
Also, there is a dress code—shoulders and knees must be covered. Many dress very well for the GPA and special guests are dressed to the nines.
Tip for newly weds: you can get special seating and a special blessing from the Holy Father if you make the correct “sposi novelli” application! There are several conditions including that you are married in a Catholic Church within the previous 2 months of the GPA (some exceptions) and most attend in their wedding clothes. (Wedding dress & suit or traditional clothing.)
BOOK YOUR TICKET/S!
Tickets for the GPA can be requested using the simple one page form from the Prefecture of the Papal Household. (Link to the Prefecture below.) It may be sent back by e-mail, fax or mail. READ and follow their instructions and book early. (More documentation is needed for sposi novelli application: they will get to meet the Holy Father!)
https://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/index_en.html
I found out from chatting with an American in the queue that Americans can order and collect tickets through the Pontifical North American College. They must book at least 2 weeks ahead and collecting tickets there is easier.
COLLECT THE TICKET/S
Vatican City: this should be rotated 90 degrees so that St. Peter’s Square is East.
Most of the plebs must pick-up the tickets at the “Bronze Door.” Remember that you must go through security first, and that can take up to an hour…or more!
You may collect your ticket/s the Tuesday afternoon immediately before the Wednesday GPA, between 3 and 7 p.m. (You may also collect on the Wednesday morning between 7 & 9 a.m. but this may delay your entry through security.)
Green arrow showing location of the Bronze Door.
After passing through security, the next trick is to find the Bronze Door! I could not see signs for it and attendants generally gave a wave in the approximate direction. After passing through security, go around the curve of the colonnade towards the Basilica, BUT DO NOT GO AROUND THE CORNER at the end! The Bronze door is the last door on the right before the corner & is up some steps.
To get past the Swiss Guard at the door you must show proof of your ticket confirmation, so have this printed or ready on your phone. If they are satisfied, they will allow you to enter the corridor to go to the third door on the right. Here, you must show the email to the Prefecture staff because they file tickets by number, not name. The Prefecture staff were delightful. (‘Godda say I would not like to mess with any Swiss Guard!)
WHERE TO ENTER FOR THE GPA?
The entrance for the GPA is on the opposite side to the usual access point for the Basilica. (So, in the SOUTH colonnade at point 90 on the map above. NB: the map is not oriented correctly.)
I was there at 7 a.m. to find the line-up already past the corner at 89 on the map! My estimate is that there were 500-1000 people ahead of me!
The security check consists of a visual bag-check; a bag x-ray and then a walk-through metal detector. After security, I chose the front-left visitors area because it was in the shade. The trade off was that it was a little cool (30# October!) but the other side was way too hot in the sun!
At the start, the Pope is driven around to be closer to the crowd, and he visits with babies & children—very cute to see their reaction on the massive TV screens.
People in Vatican line-ups are very friendly & there can be remarkable amount of communication using a smattering of words in different languages. Consider bringing some water, but do not drink too much or else you will be rushing for a bathroom during the 2-3 hour event. (There are washrooms/toilets on both sides but the Men’s on the south-side has only 3 stalls. The Women’s usually has a long line up, so probably the same.)
THE BLESSING OF DEVOTIONAL ITEMS:
At the end of the Papal Audience, the Holy Father gives an Apostolic Blessing.
“This blessing is for you, your family, your loved ones, and all items for devotional use that you have brought to be blessed.”
I usually give away my Rosaries but I’ll be keeping this one! (The pyx is for a friend.)
STAY TILL THE HOLY FATHER LEAVES!
Swiss Guard (who consented to the photo!)
A few left during the audience, but most took off when the Pope started greeting the special guests behind the podium, a little after 10 a.m. (This was when I made the video which was posted to X / Twitter.)
Thankfully, I was still there taking photo’s (and chatting!) when the Holy Father got back into the Popemobile, 45-60 minutes later. He then came back down to the pilgrim’s area and went back & forth at the base of the steps. The remaining folk were only 3 to 4 deep, so we had an excellent interaction with the Holy Father! (See my title photo above.)
STAY FOR THE PILGRIM’S MASS!
If you are staying for the Pilgrim’s Mass DO NOT EXIT the visitors/pilgrim’s area.
When the Holy Father left the square (at ~11 a.m. or later!) pilgrims attending the Mass gathered at the spot indicated by the yellow pointer on the photo. We were allowed into the Basilica about ~11:45 a.m. after the Papal & special guest areas had been cleared fully.
Place to wait for the Pilgrim’s Mass in the Basilica
Floor plan of the Basilica
While chatting with an Austrian woman who was accompanying 2 Sisters, she mentioned that the Pilgrim’s Mass is usually at the far end of the Basilica. She then she guided me there and helped with finding a pew! During her previous visit, Mass had been in the left transept but we were redirected to the Apse, below the stained glass of the Dove of the Holy Spirit.
The Pilgrim’s Mass was said in Latin, though several people from the congregation gave introductory prayers and readings in different languages. At the end of Mass, the organist cranked the music—breathtaking!
The music was an absolute treat at the end of an incredible morning.
Dove of the Holy Spirit
Kevin Hay
You can follow Kevin on 𝕏 / Twitter @ kevinhay77