The Pope at the weekly audience in the papal auditorium. On the right are a collection of church people, mostly bishops, and a few laymen. One of the bishops would walk to a microphone and announce to the Pope that the English-speaking (or Spanish-speaking, or Italian-speaking, etc.) visitors gave him greetings, announce the groups that were there (who often sang a little song - the Texans had a loud obnoxious cheer), told the people that the Pope would bless them and any religious articles at the end of his greeting, and then sat down. The Pope then read a brief sermon and greeting in whatever language was being used. The Pope handled Polish on his own. It was friendly but formal, and I can imagine that medieval audiences with a monarch followed a similar pattern. (The modern backdrop, depicting the risen or rising Christ is strangely similar to Boticcelli's Birth of Venus and is incredibly ugly.)

© Monica & Mark Hughes 2000-02