Saint Peter’s Square: Lunch with the Pope.

Ruth:

Today we went to St. Peter’s Square, the final destination of the Via Francigena and the end of our 2800 km pilgrimage to

to Rome. It’s Wednesday, which means we were not alone. We joined at least 10,000 others keen on catching a glimpse of the Pope.

Wednesday is when he holds his weekly public audience. The adoring crowds treated him like a rock star. You could tell when the Pope was in our vicinity in the square because hundreds of cameras and iPads shot up into the air.

We were pleased to get our Testimoniums (the certificate granted for completing the pilgrimage). Contrary to what we had heard, they were easily obtained just outside St. Peter’s square at the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, Piazza Pio XII no. 9. We will save our visit to St. Peter’s and the Vatican museums for another day when the crowds are a bit lighter.

I will miss the identity of being a pilgrim and the special privileges and unique community that comes with it. I remember feeling the same way when I finished my masters degree. It was one thing to be a grad student who worked part time, and quite another to be an over-educated, underemployed member of the plebs. I guess I am just a cyclist now. Still, a very, very fortunate one who has been permanently changed by the experiences of following an ancient pilgrimage route.