The Buildup And Letdown Of The Papal Audience

The bottom line is that a Papal Audience is altogether different from what most people imagine. Anywhere from three to five thousand people gather in St. Peter’s Square for each papal audience and sit and listen while the pope greets the crowd and says mass in many different languages. Guest speakers, choirs, and performers from all over the world are often included in the mass as well.

Many tourists plan their visits to Rome years ahead of time, and the anticipation of coming to Rome and attending an audience with the Holy Father is really quite can be quite overwhelming. How sad that they will come back home without the long sought after photo of themselves embracing his holiness to mount in the family room. That photo was to be kept for generations, to show their children, grandchildren, and anyone and everyone else who is willing to listen to their stories about the audience with the Bishop of Rome. Truth be told, photographs are allowed at the general audience, but the problem is that the chances of sneaking up close enough to get more than the top of his crown are not that great.

It is easy to sense the letdown on the faces and in the hearts of the faithful pilgrims who flock to the Vatican on any given Wednesday for this weekly event. People from all over the world fly to Rome, then head to the Vatican by bus, by taxi, by car, by subway, and even by foot, with their golden ticket to the General Audience in hand. There is a fleeting moment when it becomes apparent to them that they are sharing that long anticipated intimate experience with the many thousand others who have gathered in St. Peter's Square with the very same tickets in hand, and this realization can indeed be desolating.

I would argue, however, that most people take this letdown in stride and do make the best of it. They line up a place to sit (you'd better come early if you have plans of sitting down), or just stand up in the square and stretch their necks to get a glimpse of the Pope, who sits about a 150 meters away underneath a red canopy. Recently married couples, interestingly, are invited to sit in the first couple of rows, as long as they come clad in their wedding attire and with their marriage certificate in tow. The Pope will often greet them in person and bless their new marriage.
As for the rest of the “hopeful popefuls”, we may still return home and tell our children about our escapades in Rome, our visit to the Vatican and the audience with the Holy Father, but in our hearts it is usually nothing like what we expected.

By: When In Rome Tours

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Article contributed by Danielle Russo of When In Rome Tours WhenInRomeTours.com, Experts in Vatican Tours and Rome sightseeing Private-Tours since 1999.