While there are opportunities to see the Pope in Vatican City, it is unlikely that you’ll get a one-on-one meeting where he individually blesses your rosary or some other religious item.
But there are other ways to get a rosary blessed by the Pope. Some involve going to Rome yourself, but you can also get a Papal-blessed rosary from the comfort of your home.
What You'll Learn Today
Does A Rosary Have To Be Blessed?
Obviously, having a rosary that’s been blessed by the Pope is a big deal. It doesn’t make the rosary magical or anything like that, but it’ll certainly have more value for you in regards to your faith.
A Papal-blessed rosary can be a powerful aid to prayer and can help strengthen your faith.
That said, it is not a requirement to have a rosary blessed. You can just buy a rosary and pray with it as it is. God will still hear your prayers.
But it’s a good idea to have your rosary blessed. It attaches special honor and sacredness to the rosary. It becomes more effective at preparing our hearts for God’s sanctifying grace.
The good news is that it’s not just the Pope who can bless your rosary. Your parish priest can also say a blessing over it, as well as any other sacramental such as holy water.
Heck, you can even bless your own rosary if you don’t have access to a priest or bishop.
Read also: What Miracles Did Pope John Paul II Perform?
How To Get A Rosary Blessed By The Pope
Most Catholics will consider a Papal-blessed rosary to be more special to them compared to one that’s blessed by their parish priest or themselves. There’s no problem with that.
The challenge is how to get the Pope to bless the rosary. There are three ways to do this.
1. Attend the Pope’s Audience or Mass
You may not be able to meet one on one with the Pope, but you can be in the same room with him.
The Pope holds an audience most Wednesdays at St. Peter’s Square or the Nervi auditorium. Everyone is free to attend these audiences, but you’ll need to request for tickets (at no charge) two weeks before the audience.
When you attend the audience, remember to carry the rosary you want blessed by the Pope. You can also carry any other religious article you want the Pope to bless such as a crucifix or medal.
Towards the end of the audience, the Pope gives an Apostolic blessing. In it, he blesses the people in the audience, their families and any devotional items that people have carried.
That’s it; you now have a Papal-blessed rosary.
If you miss the Wednesday audience, there are two more opportunities to see and hear from the Pope on Sunday.
You can request for tickets to the Sunday Papal mass. Apply the tickets well ahead of time (at least two weeks before) and make sure you are at St. Peter’s Square before 9.30am. The service begins at 10.30am.
If you don’t want the hassle of applying for tickets, get to St. Peter’s Square around 11.30am and wait for the Pope’s Angelus at around noon. He will appear from a window and give his blessings.
By the way, you can offer to go with your friends’ or family members’ rosaries to the Vatican and have them blessed as well.
The best thing about going to the Vatican to have a rosary blessed is that you get to see and hear the Pope. It’s also a great opportunity to tour Vatican city and Rome.
On the downside, it can be pricey if you don’t live in or near Rome. You’ll need to plan for air tickets and pay for accommodation. At least the tickets to see the Pope are free.
2. Buy A Papal-blessed Rosary From a Vatican Gift Shop
If you are at the Vatican but don’t get a chance to see the Pope, you can still get a rosary that’s been blessed by the Pope.
All you need to do is pop into one of the gift shops around the Vatican. One of the most popular ones is Savelli Religious.
Request for a Rosary that has been blessed by the Pope. Some gift shops will have such rosaries ready while others will ask you to wait a few days for the rosary to be blessed. They’ll take it to one of the Pope’s audiences or masses on your behalf.
Note: Just because a rosary has been blessed by the Pope, it shouldn’t be more expensive than a regular rosary. Be wary of gift shops who try to price gouge you.
3. Buy A Papal-blessed Rosary Online
Both of the above options require you to travel to Rome. But you can still get a Papal-blessed rosary without leaving your home.
Many of the gift shops in Vatican city also have online stores. A couple trustworthy ones are savellireligious.com and www.vaticangift.com.
You can browse their online catalog and choose the rosary that you want. Next, indicate in your order that you want the rosary to be blessed by the Pope. This option is typically free, but it can extend how long it takes for your rosary to ship.
They’ll take your rosary to the Papal audience or mass and have it blessed on your behalf. Then they’ll ship it to you.
Some gift shops like Savelli Religious even include a parchment with the date of the blessing as a keepsake.
How Much Does A Papal Blessing Cost?
The Vatican does not sell Papal blessings. Entry tickets to the Wednesday audience or the Sunday mass are completely free. However, some tour companies will apply for the tickets on your behalf and sell them to you at a small fee. They’ll usually also include a tour of some of the places in Vatican city.
But if you request the tickets yourself from the Prefecture of the Papal Household, it’s free. You can then go in with your rosary and have it blessed when the Pope gives his apostolic blessing.
Most gift shops also don’t charge extra for a Papal-blessed rosary.
