Yesterday we went to the Wednesday audience with the Pope. I had never been to one, nor did I have any idea what went on so I will describe it for you. Essentially it is an audience. We see and hear him, he sees and hears us. The atmosphere took me, and those who were singularly ignorant, by surprise. It was more carnival than any thing else. But let us take this step by step. First you have to get tickets, ordering them by fax usually, to get into the reserved area. Anyone can go but if they don’t get tickets, they are back in the Piazza. Then you have to arrive early to go through security – just like an airport – and stay strictly in your group and take your assigned place. Marcia ordered ours, as the Benedictine Renewal Group, and we were right up the top to the side of the Pope, five rows back – excellent. Different groups come in costume, and one made their presence felt setting the tone for the day. Dressed in medieval costume, a Palermo band, and flag waving group entered the Piazza playing and flamboyantly throwing their flags and went to their assigned place. (Just the type of display one expects at the town festival.) Next the them was a group from another town that had just walked in. Not to be outdone they too played and flag waved. Palermo responded. As the stakes grew higher, a group in medieval costume did a dance display, then it was back to the battle of the bands and flags, each trying to better the other till in the end BOTH groups played and threw flags at the same time. Thank God their tempos did not clash. After and hour and a quarter, I think a message was sent down from the offices above – shut up!
Back up on the podium near us, the gifts to the Pope were displayed. Pride of place went to a cage of chooks – right next to a stature of Our Lady of Fatima – no, they were not unrelated. Down in the crowds were five banners from the Chook Breeders of some part of Italy, two banners displaying chooks on either side of a banner of Our Lady of Fatima. They were rare breeds and initially I thought we were going to have a cock fight display. We were told that they were going to be sent out to Castelgondolfo, the Pope’s residence outside of Rome where some farming is done. There were other presents like religious statues etc but as for me the chooks took pride of place.
Also up on the podium in a special section were a number of wedding parties, all in their finery, having come for a special blessing.
Finally all groups in, all presents on display, and four of the Swiss guards in full plumage marched out and took up position of either side of the podium. Then the Pope Benedict entered the Piazza, was clapped and cheered but not with any hysteria. I think this shift is part of the personal style of this man. I had heard enough about excessive emotionalism in the past to make me dread going to this event. He took his time going through the crowds blessing the people but then this is what they had come for. When he arrived up on the podium he sat under the canopy with two other clerics. His skin colour was not good but he walked vigorously and easily - better than I would expect for a man his age.
The audience officially opened with a prayer, then a short piece from the Gospel of Matthew was read first in Italian, then French, Spanish, English, German and a East European language. The Pope then gave a homily in Italian. Then a precis of the homily was translated in each of the above language. After each precis, the people were welcomed in that language and the groups presented to the Pope according to their language group. Countries mentioned included, Australia (Lia and I were your representative) Venuzuela, Thailand, Korea etc As each group was called, they stood, clapped, cheered and some broke into song. Most groups were parish groups but there were all others sorts. And what a range there was. Near us were a group of children in colourful, dramatic costume (I thought they might be Roma – gyspy) who broke into a delightful ‘kiddies’ song. On the other side of the podium, a Spanish group sang a formal religious song. While everything was kept moving, no group was cut off or hurried along. I and others in our group found this the most moving part of the ceremony. The unity and the diversity of the Church was very strong, along with its humanity – as along the front on the piazza were the sick in wheelchairs.
At the end of the audience, the Pope gave a blessing for all of us, all our families and friends, all whom we love and all the sick we know. So count yourself in. And then the service was concluded with the singing of the Our Father. Then he had short meetings with special representatives, first some bishops, then people in the front row on the podium, then another tour along the front of the piazza, then past the sick who had been moved into the shade then the end. All in all it took two hours.
This was a day stressing the strength of Thank You and Please. As we were leaving the piazza we came across the Palermo band having their photo taken. I went over to one of their leaders and thanked them for their display. He promptly called out to the others “Per la signora!” (for the lady) and the whole group formed and put on a display again. Pride of their troop was a young girl. You can imagine the crowd that gathered.
Later Cecilia (from Mexico) and Lia (a Good Sam) and I went to St Maria sopra Minerva so see the tomb of Catherine of Siena – and this glorious gothic church – the only one in Rome. While we found out that the room that Catherine died in was behind the sacristy. When we went there is was definitely closed behind a grill. Just then a Dominican nun came up, so I asked “Please, may we go in?” Of course was the reply.
One thing to add. The Swiss guards. How polite. We have had some dealings going to the scavi, to this audience and have found them so polite. They have a custom that when someone, anyone comes to ask them something, they give a salute. It really does set a tone
for the meeting. And given the demands made on them by pushy tourists, I’d canonise them while still alive.