Palm Sunday in Vatican

Being a Catholic, it is one of my wishes to attend a papal mass in Vatican.  It is actually one item in the itinerary we submitted to the embassy.  We gather that the Pope have general audiences on Wednesdays (check schedule here or here) and tickets to the events are free.  Tickets can be scheduled in advance by writing to them.  [More information on papal audience tickets here.]  We passed on this since our arrival in Rome is on a Wednesday evening.

We were exploring Vatican on a Thursday.  On our way back to St. Peter's Square from Vatican Museum, we passed upon a gate and took our chance if that's where we could get tickets.  Seems like Lady Luck is with us, we were able to get tickets from the Swiss Guards at the gate!  Woohoo!

Location on where to get tickets from papalaudience.org (source)

Bronze door

Bronze door

Swiss guard at the bronze door

Swiss guard giving ticket

Our tickets to Palm Sunday mass

Please take note that tickets do not guarantee entrance to the event.  When the area is already full, gates will be closed.  Come early to be able to have a greater chance to get in.  For Palm Sunday, gates opened at 7:30AM, even if mass is at 9:30AM.  We were there around 8:00AM and the line is already long.  Persons going into the square need to pass through security scanners, where tickets would also need to be presented.  We were given a postcard and missalette upon entry.  There were already lots of people, mostly seated on the front areas, when we got in.

Line of people going into St. Peter's Square

My ticket, postcard and missalette served as my souvenir

We were able to buy mini-palms (Euro 2 each) on the way to St. Peter's.  We later on learned that there are some olive tree branches being given to those attending the event.  We haven't really seen where people got the branches but we were able to ask some from our "seatmates".  I think they use more of the olive tree branches than palms here.  We've actually seen these branches being brought inside churches and placed in front of altars the past days, we just didn't know what it is and what's it for... Now, we know.

It was only a matter of minutes and the square was already filled with people.  Good thing that we were there early and were able to secure a seat.  Now, it's time for pictures.

Our mini-palm with St. Peter's Basilica in the background

The altar

Captured from one of the big screens in the venue

It was around 9:15AM, when the procession for the blessing of the palms started.  It took about 40 minutes for the whole entourage to get into the center of the square, blessing of the palms and for them to go to the main altar.

Procession

Procession

Procession

Procession

Blessing of the palms

Pope Francis on the way to the main altar

The next 2 hours was spent for the mass proper.

• Nobody is allowed to loiter during the celebration.
• Security is everywhere to maintain orderliness and solemnity of the mass.
• The mass is in Italian language but with the help of the missalette, we were able to follow.  
• Each prayer in Prayer of the Faithful is spoken in different languages, the last one is in Filipino.  
• Communion is facilitated by a priest in every aisle to serve a lot of mass goers.  We were just near an aisle so it was easy for us to line up.  I think there was just a certain number of minutes for the communion and then the priests had to go back to the altar even if there's still a line for it.  
• The last part was Angelus, although it's still 10 (or was it 15) minutes before 12NN.  

To preserve the solemnity of the mass, I have just taken very few pictures during the celebration.

During the mass

Filipino-looking priest facilitating communion

We stayed a bit longer after Pope Francis got into the pope mobile then we started on our way out, only to find out that we cannot go out yet.  Why?  The gates are still closed, Swiss guards and other security are making sure nobody blocks/goes through the aisles.  That means we have to wait until we are allowed to go out of the area we're in.  It seems that Pope Francis is still doing a round in the crowd aboard the pope mobile.  I was about 2 persons away from the blockade and am standing in a chair so I got a good view.  This was when I saw that the street (from the area near Castel Sant Angelo) leading to St. Peter's Square is full of people who attended the mass.  Too bad I hadn't been able to take a picture of that.

After a few minutes of waiting, we saw Pope Francis coming.  I was star-strucked (and blessed) when I saw him up-close.

People waiting for Pope Francis

Here comes the Pope

Pope Francis aboard the pope mobile

Pope Francis aboard the pope mobile

Pope Francis up-close

All in all, it was an awesome experience.  It was the longest mass I attended but it was all worth it.  Good thing we bought some water and light snacks with us as it was already 1PM when we got out.

Mission accomplished!