Papal audiences in Rome... Please note if you are attending
 

I had been to a Papal audience when Benedict was Pope. If you arrived at 9:00 am, you could still get a seat.

I went to the Papal audience this morning. Pope Frances is obviously more popular. Seats were all gone by 7am. :(

After that, it didnt matter if you had a ticket- everyone was let in. It was a madhouse.

If you're planning on going, DO give yourself plenty of time.

And while I am at it...

If you are going to be amongst 50,000 other people, in close quarters, please follow these common courtesies to your fellow human beings:

1- Please leave your cigarettes at home! Some people have health issues and it's not like they can move away from your smoke!

2- Please leave your cologne and perfume on the dresser. (See item #1 above.)

3- Do please where deodorant.

4- Please show the Pope that you haven't forgotten your manners; "excuse me" and " I'm sorry" go a long way (especially after you've stepped on me five times).

5- If you are sick and/or hacking up a lung--- PLEASE STAY HOME!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. :)

When did the Pope get the sex change?

Or is this a 21st century rerun of the hoary old "Pope Joan" invention?

Mea culpa.. Francis. :)

sadly, Sarge, the people who need your sage advice aren't going to be reading this thread.

Did you see anything?

I saw the Pope! :)

(And, unfortunately, a lady standing right behind me blacked out. She was probably in her 70's. Her daughter is yelling, "Mama! Mama!" and trying to hold her up; the two grandkids are sobbing. I don't know if she had a stroke, or was just overcome? Someone ran for the medics, but it was so jam-packed. So, a very large man standing in the audience just picked her up like a rag doll at the same time the medic got there. So, he just followed the medic to someplace they could look at her. I got the feeling from the people talking around me later that she was ok. They were speaking Italian, but they seemed relieved. So, hopefully, she just had an episode or something.)

It was a madhouse, but I did get to see the Pope from about 30' away. He is a very popular guy, I gotta tell ya! Kissed a lot of babies on his way around the square in his Popemobile!

There were estimated 70,000 people attending today. Similar numbers crowd the square for the Sunday noon Angelus. So arrive hours earlier for that as well.
This pope has many more public Masses and other liturgical celebrations than the last, so study the schedule on www.vatican.va and if there is an extra service, you can usually get a free ticket by applying to the Prefecture of the Papal Household: http://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/index_en.html about 3 weeks in advance. Best to send a fax (no email).