Our Europe Vatican Sposi Novelli Trip - 5 Easy Steps to Meet Pope Francis for Newlyweds' Papal Blessings

One day I came across this article on how a newlywed couple met the Pope and received his blessings for their marriage and I thought to myself, ''how wonderful it is if I can have the chance to do so too!''

A smiling Pope Francis
Credits: Biography.com

When Mr R and I decided on a wedding date, I decided to find out how to get us tickets to Sposi Novelli (which just means ''newlyweds'' in Italian). Here I sum them all up in a few easy steps and we hope that it will help other couples who are keen to do so as well.


1. How do I qualify for the Papal Blessing? 

You must fulfill the following criteria:
a. Couples must be married within two months of the general audience date that they wish to attend;
b. They must bring both the certificate of attestation from the Chancery and the sacramental marriage certificate for verification;
c. The newlyweds must wear their wedding attire (or something similar) during the audience.

Wedding couples at Audience for Sposi Novelli
Credits: pnac.org

2. Who should I contact in Singapore?

Email Chancery of Singapore for a form to request for reservation of Sposi Novelli tickets at pachancery@catholic.org.sg. The friendly folks will answer your questions and tell you what are the documents required.

3. How should I request for the general audience tickets?

Fill in the form with the names that will appear on your sacramental wedding certificate (to note especially if your Christian name is not part of your NRIC name), and inform the Chancery of your wedding date, Holy Matrimony venue (Church), and the Priest who will be officiating the sacrament.

Our wedding setup at Church of the Nativity of the B.V.M.

4. How long do I have to wait for a confirmation?

After the submission of form to the Chancery office together with a copy of the sacramental marriage certificate, you will have to wait for three to four weeks for the Prefecture of the Papal Household's confirmation. 
Tip: If you are like us (who are going on honeymoon right after the wedding), let the Chancery know your Holy Matrimony date and inform them that you are requesting for tickets in advance. They will then seek prior permission from Vatican to allow you to skip the submission of sacramental marriage certificate first.

5. Whee... it is approved! What's next?

Once the request has been approved by the Papal Household, the Chancery office will notify you via email. They will also send you a copy of the Certificate of Attestation from the Chancery, and a copy of the letter from the Papal Household. The letter will enable you to collect the actual general audience tickets in Vatican.
If you received an advance approval for tickets before you submitted the wedding certificate, do remember to submit the certificate to the Chancery once you receive it after the ceremony. The Chancery will then send you the documents mentioned above.

Pope Francis greeting the crowd at the General Audience
Credits: stationofthecross.com

With the documents and your wedding attire, you are now all set for the Vatican General Audience Trip to meet the Pope!

Do check out our next post on the collection of tickets and the meeting of Papa Francis! Remember to share this post with your friends who are keen to attend Sposi Novelli! :)