Papal Audience
Jul 23rd, 2003, 07:01 AM
#2
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The best seats are taken by those who get there early, there are no reserved seats. Contacting your local archdiocese would be the quickest way. You'll have to pick up your tickets in Rome, I believe at St. Susanna.
Jul 23rd, 2003, 07:16 AM
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I beg to differ with Mark's response. There are 2 types of tickets for Papal audience: general admission and "reparto speciale". Both are free. General admission tickets are green, "reparto speciale" tickets are blue. While there is no assigned seat for either type of ticket, the blue ticket gets you into a section closer to the front.
On my Rome 2002 trip, I contacted my local archdiocese, and they wanted me to fax them my hotel name, address and telephone #. A day later, they faxed back to me a letter to bring to the office of the Prefect of the Vatican either the afternoon or evening prior to Papal Audience, or the morning of Papal Audience. I did this, and collected my blue ticket. I was in the 5th row. I'd recommend you telephone your diocese's office first and tell them what you're trying to do. Cardinal Maida's office was most helpful and friendly in making the arrangements for me.
Papal Audiences are always on Wednesday mornings, and they will want to know which date you want to attend, since sometimes the Pope is not in Vatican City on the date you're interested in.
Buon Viaggio & Buona Fortuna,
BC
On my Rome 2002 trip, I contacted my local archdiocese, and they wanted me to fax them my hotel name, address and telephone #. A day later, they faxed back to me a letter to bring to the office of the Prefect of the Vatican either the afternoon or evening prior to Papal Audience, or the morning of Papal Audience. I did this, and collected my blue ticket. I was in the 5th row. I'd recommend you telephone your diocese's office first and tell them what you're trying to do. Cardinal Maida's office was most helpful and friendly in making the arrangements for me.
Papal Audiences are always on Wednesday mornings, and they will want to know which date you want to attend, since sometimes the Pope is not in Vatican City on the date you're interested in.
Buon Viaggio & Buona Fortuna,
BC
Jul 23rd, 2003, 07:26 AM
#4
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I attended the Papal Audience 2 weeks ago. It was a great experience. I reserved tickets through Santa Susanna, but it turned out that the day of the service, no one even asked for our tickets. Also, it says it starts around 10:30am, but it actually started at 10:00am - so make sure you get there early. We arrived at St. Peter's Square around 9:00am, and went through security on the left side. We were lead into a huge auditorium, and you could pick any seat you wanted. If you were one of the first ones in line, you would get the first seats available. There were a lot different groups there representing their own country, most of them were in the front rows.
Jul 23rd, 2003, 08:51 AM
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Bookchick, what did you disagree with?
You stated "there are no assigned seats." I stated "there are no reserved seats."
BTW, my ticket was yellow. Also, when I was there, if you were in the front row of the "general admission", you were closer than someone in the back row of "reparto speciale".
You stated "there are no assigned seats." I stated "there are no reserved seats."
BTW, my ticket was yellow. Also, when I was there, if you were in the front row of the "general admission", you were closer than someone in the back row of "reparto speciale".
Jul 23rd, 2003, 09:03 AM
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I've attended several Papal Audiences. Each time in the general admission area. Every ticket I've had has been a different color, which makes sense because they would be easy to counterfit in the event they became extremely difficult to get. The guards have always looked at my ticket and directed me toward the right "section". The best seats (if you can't get the special tickets and sit up front) are next to the center aisle. The Pope's vehicle comes down that aisle at the beginning of the audience and you are within only a few feet of him. Once, a woman next to me held up her about 7 month old baby. One of the Pope's security men took the child and gave him to the Pope, who blessed and kissed him before returning him to the guard and then him mother. Very moving.
Jul 23rd, 2003, 09:29 AM
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Was which one outside? The one where the lady held up the baby? No, that was inside. Both inside and outside audiences are set up similarly, with a center aisle the Pope's vehicle travels down. The advantage of outside audiences is that he also sometimes travels the perimeter of the crowd in that vehicle after the audience. Due to the Pope's age and failing health, summer audiences are now usually held in the airconditioned audience hall where you were. That is where they are held in the winter and during inclement weather.
Jul 23rd, 2003, 09:30 AM
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When I went to the Papal Audience it was held outside. This was in May. And Grinisa is right, get on the aisle if you can. My wife sat on the aisle and probably could of reached out and touched the Pope. Not that you could have a chance, as he is heavily guarded.
Jul 30th, 2003, 10:47 AM
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The Pope is currently scheduled to travel to the Slovak Republic from September 11 to September 14. He will probably be back in the Vatican for the Wednesday, September 17th audience unless he goes to Castel Gandolfo to rest from the trip.
