What Is a Papal Audience?
Papal audiences are meetings granted by the Pope. Though general audiences for large groups are regularly scheduled, audiences with individual and small groups are subject to approval and depend on the Pope's schedule.
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Audience Administration
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According to the Vatican's website, it is the responsibility of the Prefecture of the Papal Household to coordinate private, special and general audiences with the Pope.
General Audiences
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General audiences with the Pope are held in St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City on Wednesday mornings. Tickets for reserved seating can be obtained by writing to the
Prefecture of the Papal Household, 00120, Vatican City State. Fax: +39 06 6988 5863. -
Private Audiences
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One-to-one private audiences are held in the Papal Library, and are generally limited to heads of state, governmental ministers, religious leaders and ambassadors. Meetings with small groups usually take place in the Consistory Room or the Clementine Room.
Dress Code
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Those received by the Pope are expected to dress conservatively: Women generally wear dark-colored, long-sleeved dresses and a head covering; men are expected to wear dark suits. For private audiences, some men dress in formal morning attire.
Protocol and Tradition
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Private audiences are obtained through strict rules of protocol or are initiated by the Pope himself. When the Pope approaches the visitor during a private audience, the visitor is expected to kneel and kiss the Pope's ring.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Paul Resh
