Tuesday night we had learned that our general audience with Pope Benedict on Wednesday would be held inside rather than outside as is usually the case. Now, when the audience is held outside getting there at 5 in the morning to get as close to the Pope as possible is not a bad idea. However, when the audience is held inside everyone is just put in a particular section of seating and the Pope is on stage the whole time so the point is kind of moot. But, there was a group from Franciscan that had been planning to get to the Vatican around 5:30 in the morning and when we learned that the audience was going to be inside they decided to just proceed with their plans anyway cuz it’s all part of the experience! So I was going to join them for this, however, my alarm went off at 4:45 that morning and it was just not gonna happen. So, eventually, Ari woke me up and the two of us had breakfast together and then headed on over to St. Peter’s. We still got there about an hour and a half before the audience was going to start. There were several different sections of seating and we were in the front row of the second section which was still pretty darn close. And right across the aisle from us were the people who had left at 5:00 in the morning. So sleeping in was definitely the right choice in this particular situation. So in the hour and a half that we had I put on my makeup, prayed a Rosary, prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet, and talked to the Irish guy sitting next to us.
And then . . . HE ENTERED!!!! The Pope!!!!! And naturally we all freaked out! Everyone was screaming and yelling, I was one of several people standing on our chairs to get pictures. And we were all like whoooo we love the Pope!!!!!
Sooo once we all quieted down there were Cardinals from all different countries and each one would get up and read the day's reading in a different language. I believe there was Latin, Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish. The Pope then gave his address in Latin after which each Cardinal got up to introduce different pilgrims. Like the Italian Cardinal would introduce the Italian speaking pilgrims, the French Cardinal the French speaking pilgrims, etc. And after each Cardinal finished the Pope would give his address again in that particular language. So the English Cardinal got up to introduce different groups of English speaking pilgrims and he introduced "students and faculty from the Franciscan University of Steubenville" and naturally we freaked out! Which is what you're supposed to do when you get introduced. And we were all like AAAAAHHHHHH WE LOVE THE POPE!!!!!! And it was really cool cuz we were spread out all over the auditorium so we were introduced and there were students jumping up from all over the room. And the Pope gave us all his little Pope wave and it was so cool!!!!! Oh and I'm pretty sure we had the loudest cheer of all the groups that were introduced. I take great pride in that fact. So then the Pope gave his address in English and it was all about St. Francis and Assissi and we were leaving for Assissi the next morning! It was like he knew we were coming! Which he probably did but I doubt he wrote his entire talk just for us.
Some other cool groups were a boys choir who sang a song for the Pope and it was so beautiful! Also there was a violin group who played the William Tell Overture. And there were several newlyweds who came to get there marriages blessed by the Pope! And the brides were still wearing their gowns! It was so cool!
And of course, at the end of the audience everyone holds up any religious objects they want to have blessed and the Pope blesses them! I got a Rosary, my Miraculous Medal, and a JPII necklace blessed.
A group of us then went to lunch at a little Italian restaurant. I had real Italian pizza again which made me very happy! And some street players came up which just totally made the experience.
After that I joined my friend Devon who was going back to pray at St. Peter's for a little while. Unfortunately, the line to get into the Vatican was ridiculously long so that cut our time in St. Peter's short but it gave us a good opportunity for some bonding.
Once inside St. Peter's I did a sort of walking prayer just going around St. Peter's stopping at the different side altars. And then I ended in the Adoration Chapel saying hello to Jesus.
We then headed to the Sacred Stairs which are the stairs that Christ climbed to meet Pilate. They were brought to Rome from the Holy Land by St. Helen, the mother of Constantine. We had to ascend on our knees. The actual stairs are encased in wood but there are slits through which you can touch the actual marble stairs. And there are little windows through which you can see blood which is believed to be the Precious Blood of Christ. Yeah, it was pretty incredible.
Unfortunately we had to miss Mass in order to do this devotion. I was pretty bummed about that. But I still got a chance to see St. John Latteran which is where Mass was held. It's also the Pope's official parish. I had a few minutes to pray by the Adoration Chapel in St. John Latteran and there was the most wonderful statue of St. John! I'm very picky about pictures and statues of my favorite saints so it makes me very excited when I find one that I really like and I really liked this one!
After seeing St. John Latteran we got to go to the Basilica of Santa Croce which holds relics of the true Cross, a nail from the true Cross, and the cross of the good thief.
After dinner was the long anticipated MOS/Disciples Rosary in St. Peter's Square! A lot of people came with us and at first I was kinda bummed cuz I thought it should just be MOS and Disciples but they were all such wonderful people and it was just such a wonderful night! Before we started Rosary we had an MOS/Disciples photo shoot. We then begun Rosary facing the Image of Our Lady on the side of St. Peter's. One of the Disciples told me that this image wasn't originally there but when Pope John Paul II was shot he was slipping in and out of consciousness and he was looking up at all these saints and he was like Where's our Mother? So he had this image added to the side of St. Peter's. As we were praying it started to rain. And it was so beautiful I didn't even care that I was getting drenched! And we were so happy cuz the lights were on in the Pope's apartments! So when we sang our household song we faced Papa's window and sang to him! And then we sang the Disciples household song which was a blast! There were so many of us and we were in the middle of St. Peter's Square just being completely ridiculous and singing and laughing and having the best time ever! It was so great that we just couldn't stop - after the Disciples song we sang the Salve Regina and Dona Nobis Pacem. And then the Polizia came over and told us to be quiet but it was fine cuz we were ready to leave anyway.
So we stopped at a gelatto place on the way back to our hotel. It was lovely! Once we got back to the hotel I visited with my household sisters for a little while before heading to bed.
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