As the most popular tourist attraction in Rome, the Vatican sees a lot of people visiting its museum and works of art every day. But probably the most famous thing about the Vatican is its famous inhabitant, the pope.
Although the Vatican is the pope’s residence, he’s not exactly wandering around mingling with the visitors, and you won’t necessarily have the chance to see him on your visit if you don’t plan ahead.
The pope only makes appearances at the Vatican on certain days at certain times, and you need to know when that will be if you want to make your visit to the Vatican extra special by being in the audience for His Holiness.
So how do you see the pope when you visit the Vatican? Here’s how.
A papal audience is held almost every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in St Peter’s Square through the summer months, and in the Vatican’s Nervi Auditorium when the weather is not so good. The papal audience, or general audience, is a great way to see the pope.
The atmosphere out in St Peter’s Square gives the experience a real feeling of celebrity, and, let’s face it, the pope is the biggest celebrity in Rome.
It’s completely free to attend a papal audience, but you do need to have a ticket, and this is where it gets tricky.
Until quite recently tickets were only available by faxing the Vatican offices. Thankfully, the Vatican has now moved with the times and all you need to do is fill out this form, and you can pick up your tickets at the bronze door under the right-hand colonnade when you arrive at St Peter’s Square.
A papal audience lasts between one and a half and two hours, and even with your ticket in hand it’s first come first served for the seating. Some people arrive three hours before the papal audience to get a good seat. If you arrive just before the audience starts, you’ll most likely be standing, so get there early for a good seat.
The pope will arrive in his popemobile — yes, that’s the official term — and drive through the gap between the barriers. A spot at the barriers or a seat at the front where the pope will give the audience from, are snapped up early. Although the papal audience doesn’t start until 10:30 a.m. people will start queueing for these prime spots as early as 7:30 a.m.
If you don’t have a ticket for a papal audience and you’re in Rome on a Sunday, you can attend a Sunday Angelus. You don’t need a ticket for this, and it’s much shorter than a papal audience, at around 20 minutes long.
As everyone gathers in St Peter’s Square at noon, the pope will appear from an apartment window and give the Sunday Angelus. This involves a short speech and then the pope performs the Angelus prayer in Latin, followed by a blessing. He’ll also greet certain sections of the crowds, speaking in multiple languages.
Don’t be fooled into thinking because it’s short and less formal than a papal audience, and you don’t need a ticket, you don’t need to worry about arriving early. It’s a very popular alternative to a papal audience and it does get busy. Going through security takes a little time, and if you want a good spot for a great view of the pope, make sure you arrive early.
For a very special experience, you can attend an actual papal Mass. Like the papal audience, you do need to have a ticket for this, and like the papal audience, tickets are free. You can get your tickets in the same way, by filling out the form online.
Be aware that, unlike the papal audience or the Sunday Angelus, papal Masses occur on varying days and in varying locations each month. Many people who particularly want to attend a papal Mass, plan their entire trip to Rome around this one event, as dates and locations vary so much.
Papal Masses are held in St Peter’s Basilica, but they are also held in other papal basilicas in Rome, such as Saint Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, or Santa Sabina where the pope usually gives Mass on Ash Wednesdays.
If you aren’t fussy about attending a holiday papal Mass, you should be able to get tickets fairly close to the event, though do plan ahead for your schedule. If you want to attend a holiday papal Mass for Easter, Christmas, or other religious dates, you’ll need to book your tickets well in advance, at least six months before.
To plan your trip to Rome including a papal Mass, check the pope’s calendar of events well in advance of your visit.
If seeing the pope while you’re in Rome is top of your list of must-dos, you’ll need to plan well ahead of your trip.
Check the pope’s calendar of events and make sure you have tickets to a papal audience or a papal Mass. If it’s super important for your experience in Rome, plan your entire trip around seeing the pope.
Seeing the pope at the Vatican is at the top of many travelers’ lists, so make sure you’re prepared. Get to your audience, Mass, or Angelus in plenty of time to secure a good spot. Tickets don’t guarantee you a seat at the papal audience or papal Mass, so make sure you get there early.
Photos are allowed, so be sure to take your camera, and bear in mind you’ll be waiting in line for a long time, so make sure you have plenty of water and sunscreen.
If you’re ready to start planning your trip to Rome, why not begin with a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica? On our St. Peter’s Basilica Tour With Dome Climb, a local expert will show you all around the basilica, from the top of St Peter’s Dome, for breathtaking views of Rome, down to the depths of the Vatican grottoes below the church.
