Papal General Audiences
Wednesdays, 10:30 am
Location of the general audience varies; they are held in St. Peter’s square or in the Paul VI Hall (Aula Nervi). During the summer, audiences may also be held at Castel Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence (40 min outside Rome by car).
Tickets are free of charge and are available from the Prefecture of the Papal Household:
Prefettura della Casa Pontificia,
Palazzo Apostolico,
00120 Vatican City State
Tickets can also be requested through the Church of Santa Susanna (the American Catholic Church in Rome) on their website; www.santasusanna.org/popeVatican/tickets.html or by contacting the U.S. Bishops’ Office for Visitors to the Vatican, at their office located at the Casa Santa Maria on Via dell’Umiltá, 30, 00187 Rome, Italy, one block from the Trevi Fountain. The Bishops’ office can also be contacted via email at visitorsoffice@pnac.org or fax at +(39) 06.679.1448.
Should you be unable to get tickets for an audience, you can always attend the Sunday Angelus, held at noon in St. Peter’s Square and presided over by the Pope. While the Pope is at his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, he says the Angelus from his study window; space is very limited in the courtyard.
*Please note that private audiences with the Pope are reserved for heads of state and other high-ranking officials.