November 3, 2013. (Romereports.com) Each week, Pope Francis breaks down barriers between him and the pilgrims at Wednesday’s General Audience. But even so, finding a good spot to see him at St. Peter’s Square is tough, not everyone can be front and center. But the privileged group who can have easy access to the front of the line are newlyweds. All the couple needs is to don their wedding gowns, and access is virtually guaranteed.
-“Yeah, it’s a little bit awkward because I don’t want to have a dirty dress after. But, I mean, you know, I put it on for the second time and I really felt special. So… as he said, it’s like this is our second, as if we get married for the second time.
-“Yeah, for the second time.”
Newlyweds can often be found at the first row of St. Peter’s Square, closest to the Pope. But despite this easy access, getting there can come with a few challenges.
-“We arrived a bit late because of the trains. We got here just before 10 in the morning, but we were still able to go in anyway.”
-“We had to get dressed in the train, otherwise we wouldn’t have made it on time.”
Pope Francis greets each newlywed couple personally, once the General Audience ends. These two couples were among the forty or so that made it to this week’s audience.
“We were able to greet the Pope and tell him that it was great to come see him in Rome. He smiled and said, ‘Pray for me.’”
-“He doesn’t have automatic messages, I don’t know how to say it, ah…”
-“Yeah, because he’s very spontaneous approaching people and saying things. Sometimes he doesn’t say anything. But you really feel he really cares about every person that he meets.”
These two couples came to St. Peter’s Square months after their honeymoon. This time around, they return home with the Pope’s special blessing. But they also take away a story for their future children and grandchildren.
