ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER - ST. PETERS SQAURE, VATICAN

ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER

ST. PETERS SQUARE, VATICAN

We arrived early in St. Peters Square on a Sunday to participate in the Address of the Holy Father.  Pope Francis blessed the crowd from a Vatican window overlooking the Square.  The crowd began to form hours before the Pope spoke.  The excitement begins when the window above is opened and a red Papal cloth is placed over the window so it hangs below.   All eyes are on the cloth until the Pope appears to a huge roar of cheers.  This was a "chicken skin" moment for me and brought tears to my eyes.  To see the Pope and hear his voice was a surreal moment.  The blessing was done in Italian so we did not fully understand the message, but just being in St. Peters Square with Pope Francis was a gift of a lifetime.  Just a note:  Highly recommend you visit St. Peters Basilica and the Vatican early in the morning before the crowds.  Get there at 7:00 am when the doors open and you will have a much better experience than going at noon or later.  You can wait in line for hours just to enter St. Peters Basilica.  Arrive early and avoid the lines and experience the Basilica while it is uncrowded and quiet.  You will thank me for this tip!

WALL SURROUNDING THE VATICAN

ST. PETERS SQUARE

ST. PETERS BASILICA

THE EXCITEMENT BEGINS WHEN THE RED PAPAL CLOTH IS PLACED IN THE WINDOW

THE CROWD GROWS LARGER AS IT NEARS TIME FOR THE PAPAL ADDRESS

JUST MOMENTS AWAY FROM THE POPE COMING TO THE WINDOW

THE CROWD ERUPTS WITH CHEERS AND WAVES FLAGS AS POPE FRANCIS APPEARS IN WINDOW

POPE FRANCIS ADDRESSES THE PILGRIMS

WHAT AN EXPERIENCE TO SEE AND HEAR THE POPE

MY IPHONE CAMERA IN ZOOM MODE CAPTURES A BLURRY POPE FRANCIS

ST. PETERS SQUARE

CHICKEN SKIN MOMENT TO HAVE MY ROSARY BLESSED IN ST. PETERS SQUARE

POPE FRANCIS IN WINDOW