Newlywed audiences & Papal blessings

[IlovemyChurch]

Hi,

I heard that it is possibly as a newlywed to reserve tickets for a special (?) audience with the Pope. Does anyone know how one might go about doing this?

Also, is it possible to get a papal blessing for one’s marriage, (that is, you get a paper certificate sent to you/your Parish) and if so, who should be contacted to get it arranged…?

Many thanks for any help!

-x-

 

[muledog]

IlovemyChurch:

Hi,

I heard that it is possibly as a newlywed to reserve tickets for a special (?) audience with the Pope. Does anyone know how one might go about doing this?

Also, is it possible to get a papal blessing for one’s marriage, (that is, you get a paper certificate sent to you/your Parish) and if so, who should be contacted to get it arranged…?-x-

Dear Love,

We did just that when we were married at St. Peter’s back in 1998. It was a fairly straightforward process. The Paulist priests at St. Susanna’s (the “American parish in Rome”) are the ones who normally process the paperwork for you.

We were actually married in St. Peter’s, so the celebrant of the wedding Mass coordinated the tickets for the papal audience before we even arrived in town. The current pastor of St. Susanna’s (Fr. Greg Apparcel) was the officiant at our wedding when he was there as the Associate Pastor.

What you get at this “general audience” are special seating arrangements, which allow you to sit with other dignitaries in the vicinity of the Holy Father during his weekly address. After the audience in over, you line up and meet the pope one-on-one for about 10 seconds (not much time for chit-chat). There will be people there videotaping and photographing the introduction, so be prepared to pay mega-bucks to get copies for yourself. Also, we were told to “chat it up” with the pope so that your videotape will be longer, and there will be more photos to choose from.

We also got a papal wedding blessing, but it had to be purchased as well, and only certain catholic retailers in Rome are authorized to do this. I can’t remember how much it cost, and I think I purchased it after we arrived in-country. It was mailed back to the states for us a couple of weeks later.

Go to the St. Susanna’s parish website, where you will find specific information, such as the following:

Newlywed Ticket Procedures have changed once again. Newlyweds (within 8 weeks of your wedding) can sit in a special section, but must wear their wedding attire and must have their Wedding Certificate with them. We are sorry that the rules keep on changing but we can only provide you with the information as we are given it. We thank you your patience and your devotion.

Specific contact info (email & snailmail addresses, telephone numbers) can be found here.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I think the Papal Blessing can also be obtained through your diocese. Ask your pastor.

 

[slewi]

Yeah, it is. If you contact your diocese, you can get a Papal Blessing and the accompanying certificate for just about anything. It costs a few bucks, but it won’t break the bank, and it looks cool on the wall.

Plus it’s a Papal blessing…win - win if ya ask me!

S

 

[Forest-Pine]

%between%

muledog:

We also got a papal wedding blessing, but it had to be purchased as well, and only certain catholic retailers in Rome are authorized to do this. I can’t remember how much it cost, and I think I purchased it after we arrived in-country. It was mailed back to the states for us a couple of weeks later.

slewi:

If you contact your diocese, you can get a Papal Blessing and the accompanying certificate for just about anything. It costs a few bucks, but it won’t break the bank, and it looks cool on the wall.

This is most interesting considering the recent thread Can a store sell a blessed item? As a clarification, are you saying that the blessing itself costs money, and the Vatican has only approved certain places to sell it? That it costs more than the paper it is written on? That you actually purchase the blessing?

 

[mylo]

Forest-Pine:

This is most interesting considering the recent thread Can a store sell a blessed item? As a clarification, are you saying that the blessing itself costs money, and the Vatican has only approved certain places to sell it? That it costs more than the paper it is written on? That you actually purchase the blessing?

From what I understand, it means that the money given is for the shipping costs, paper, and whatever else it costs to get the blessing, and not the actual blessing itself.

 

[muledog]

Forest-Pine:

This is most interesting considering the recent thread Can a store sell a blessed item? As a clarification, are you saying that the blessing itself costs money, and the Vatican has only approved certain places to sell it? That it costs more than the paper it is written on? That you actually purchase the blessing?

Yes, I was told that only approved “marchants” were allowed to sell the certificates which state that their was a blessing on the wedding itself.

I’m not sure if you would consider the parchment itself blessed, since the blessing is on your wedding, and not on the paper which it is written on.

I believe that we paid around $30.00 for the parchment. Was told that the price included the hourly wage of the employee(s) that would’ve been required to obtain the “blessing”, plus the actual cost of making the parchment itself.