Papal Audience: Here’s how to book and Participate!

Information about the General or Private Audience with the Pope at the Vatican!!

Do you want to know how to participate in the papal Audience? Here is all the helpful information to book and join the Pope’s General Audience. Following the current emergency, some businesses may have changed their opening methods, so we advise you always to call or visit our website to confirm. For many faithful, the Papal Audience is a very emotional moment, and it is not a religious ceremony but a live meeting with the Pontiff in which they can listen to his words and receive his apostolic blessing. Papal Audiences can be general and private. As for the General Papal Audience, it takes place in St. Peter’s Square or the Paul IV Audience Hall, also called Sala Nervi. The Papal Audience takes place every Wednesday, it begins at 10.30 in the morning, and the duration of the Audience is about an hour and a half, in which the Pope (sometimes) on board the “mobile pope” crosses St. Peter’s Square. Initially, it welcomes all the faithful in different languages, ​​depending on the groups present. During the summer, the Pope moves to the summer residence, the general audiences couldn’t take place.

Although the Audience is free, it is necessary to book tickets to ensure participation, which happens for needs related to the organization and safety of those present. Another aspect to keep in mind if you want to participate at the Papal Audience in Rome is that relating to clothing must respect a certain decorum to avoid being excluded from the event.

Therefore, to take part in the Papal Audiences, clothing must cover the shoulders, and if you decide to wear skirts or shorts, these must not exceed the knee.

Our advice is to book tickets well in advance or book a guided tour of the Vatican museums, which includes the Audience booking service, considering a large number of faithful who request it every week.

The usual security checks will occur once you arrive at the entrance to St. Peter’s Square or in the Paul VI Hall. They take up a lot of time, so we suggest arriving well in advance, primarily if the Audience is held in the Sala Nervi and you want to access the places closest to the Pope.

Disabled people, the elderly, and newlyweds will have a reserved place in a specific area a short distance from the Holy Father.

When the Papal Audience is held in St. Peter’s Square, the security check is carried out at the arcades on both sides of St. Peter’s Square; instead, if the papal Audience is held in the Paul VI room (about 6,000 seats), we suggest arriving two and a half hours before the starting time, to secure a place.

DURATION OF PAPAL AUDIENCE The papal Audience lasts about an hour and a half.

HOW TO BOOK A PAPAL AUDIENCE To participate in one of the papal audiences, here are all the steps you will need to take. To book the tickets for the Audience, you have to contact the Prefecture of the Papal Household or contact an official travel agency tour operator.

If you need more information about the Papal Audience, you can contact us by sending an email to booking@vaticanguidedtour.com

How to request a Private Audience?

Many faithful admire the figure of the Pope and would like to have the opportunity to speak to him more discreetly. If you desire to obtain a private audience with the Pope, you will receive all the tips on how to do it here. As for the General Audience, it is necessary to submit a request to receive the ticket. The procedure remains the same: write to the Prefecture of the Papal Household or contact an official agency. The only thing you will have to remember is that, in this case, the waiting list can be much longer, so some time will pass between the request and the setting of the date you can access a Private Papal Audience. The duration is about an hour and a half, and the precautions of the regular hearings remain valid for what concerns clothing that must be appropriate.

To meet the Pope privately, you must be patient; the timing can significantly expand due to the great demand.