Blessed by the Pope

Every Wednesday the Pope addresses the general audience.  Newly weds are encouraged to request newly wed (sposi noveli) tickets from the Vatican.  The tickets grant you access to great seats on the platform to the left of the Pope.  The tickets are free, but the one requirement is you must wear wedding attire.  We requested these tickets, but they arrived in our mailbox in Texas after we had already left for Italy.  Fortunately, we didn't end up needing any documentation; the Swiss guards let us right in to the newly wed section, no questions asked.

The Papal general audience was so cool.  We got to see Pope Francis come out in the pope-mobile with the band playing and much fan fare.  The address was given in 8 languages the day we were there.  The Pope would say something in Italian, then you would hear it repeated in French, and then Spanish, then English, Portuguese, German, Arabic, and finally Russian.  If you understand more than one language it is probably really interesting.  As a your typical American though, I felt like how my 8 year old daughter probably feels sitting in church.

Once the address was over we were milling around trying to get another, even closer view of the "Papa." That's when guards shuffled us around the to the steps behind the where the Pope had been speaking, right in front of the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica.  Then Pope Francis came by to each couple.  We got to speak to him for a couple of minutes.  Then he blessed our marriage and our rings.  He gave us each a Rosary. The last thing he said to us was a request that we pray for him.  And so we do!