For pilgrims coming to Rome, there are several opportunities to see the Pope. Pilgrims may attend a general audience, a Papal liturgy, or one of the Holy Father’s blessings on Sundays and Holy Days.
General Audiences
Each Wednesday, the Holy Father holds a general audience in Vatican City at 10:30 a.m. During the audience, a Gospel passage is read and is followed by a reflection given by the Holy Father. After this reflection, the Holy Father will greet many of the large groups present at the audience. At the end, he imparts his Apostolic Blessing upon the pilgrims present, their family and friends, as well as any religious objects.
Tickets are required to attend a General Audience. These can be obtained for free directly from our office. Please see the information below.
ATTENTION NEWLYWEDS: A special section at the Holy Father’s Wednesday General Papal Audiences is reserved for couples who have been married in the Catholic Church for two months or less. Practicing Catholics may send us a letter, written by their priest, indicating their names, the date of their marriage, and the name of the Catholic Church in which they were married, to be seated in this section. To be admitted by the ushers, the newlyweds must bring with them a Catholic Sacramental marriage certificate. They are encouraged to wear their wedding attire for the audience.
Papal Liturgies
Liturgies celebrated by the Holy Father include Canonization and Beatification Masses, as well as Masses for Solemn Liturgies, such as Christmas, Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (New Year’s Day), Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter Sunday. The Holy Father will also preside over several Vespers services throughout the year.
Tickets are required for Papal liturgies. These may be obtained for free directly from our office. If you wish to attend a Papal liturgy during your stay in Rome, please contact us for more information.
Blessings on Sundays and Holy Days
On Sundays and Holy Days at noon, the Holy Father appears at the window of his study over looking St. Peter’s Square. He gives a short reflection lasting about five minutes. After the reflection, he leads the pilgrims in the Angelus, an ancient Marian prayer.
Please note that during the summer months, the Holy Father imparts this Sunday blessing in the courtyard of his summer residence at Castle Gandolfo, not St. Peter’s Square. However, pilgrims continue to gather in the square to hear the words of the Holy Father as well as pray with him via the large television screens in the square.
Tickets are not required to attend the Holy Father’s Sunday Angelus Prayer and blessing. Those desiring to receive this blessing can simply be in St. Peter’s Square by noon on Sunday.
Schedule of Papal Audiences and Liturgies
The website of Prefecture of the Papal Household updates the Holy Father’s schedule regularly. It contains the dates for the Holy Father’s General Audiences as well as dates for the various liturgical celebrations. Please visit The Prefecture of the Papal Household.
Tickets
All tickets for Papal liturgies and General Audiences are free and can be obtained directly from our office. Please send us an email outlining your request (the dates of your stay in Rome, the number of tickets requested, etc.) Your request must be submitted at least two weeks in advance for proper processing. We are happy to help anyone who comes to our office.
Groups are encouraged to give us the name of their parish, school, or organization, and group leader’s name, that we may request their group be publicly announced at the Audience.
Choirs who wish to sing for the Holy Father for one-half minute are kindly requested to give advance notice of their request.
You may make your request for tickets:
- By Email: visitorsoffice@pnac.org
- By Phone: (+39) 06/6900.1821
- By Mail:
- Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican
North American College – Casa Santa Maria
Via dell’Umilta, 30 — 00187 Rome, Italy
- Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican
Tickets for General Audiences
Tickets for Wednesday General Audiences must be picked up from our office the afternoon prior to the Audience. They may be picked up between the hours of 3:00-7:00 PM from our offices located on Via dell’Umilita, 30. Please note that we are not able to deliver the tickets.
Tickets for Papal Liturgies
Ticket invitations for the Papal Masses, if held on a Sunday, are usually available by the Thursday or Friday prior to the Mass. Tickets must be picked up from our office. It is not possible for tickets to be delivered. When you come to pick up your tickets, we are happy to give you a brief introduction to the Papal event and answer any questions you may have about it, including location, time, length, and nature.
Please know that some people are sent a response from our office but never receive it because of SPAM filters. Please ensure that our response was not marked as SPAM. Also, because of our SPAM filters we may not have received your request. It is suggested that if you have not heard from us a week before your trip, you may want to call the office.
Our office is located within the North American College at Via dell’Umilita, 30.
Dress Code
Dress in good taste is requested. Shoulders must be covered. Shorts are not permitted, and skirts should fall in length below the knee. A head covering is not necessary, however, in the summer sun it may be helpful.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We are here to serve you and help to make your pilgrimage to Rome one filled with blessings and joy.
