# Christmas Mass at St. Peter's: Who gets to sit in the pews? \[Also: Merry Christmas!\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 25, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-mass-at-st-peters-who-gets-to-sit-in-the-pews-also-merry-christmas/775586 "2016-12-25T04:53:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-mass-at-st-peters-who-gets-to-sit-in-the-pews-also-merry-christmas/775586/1 "2016-12-25T04:53:15Z")
See subject. I suppose you need connections, and perhaps space must be reserved years in advance but basically I have no clue. My wife and I are _as I type_ watching the Pope et al do their thing, as we do more or less every year. I don’t know about how many cardinals are required/customary either. Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Hannukah to all my friends at SD. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-mass-at-st-peters-who-gets-to-sit-in-the-pews-also-merry-christmas/775586/2 "2016-12-25T05:31:32Z")
Reservations for a Mass? That doesn’t make sense. Given that the Vatican’s only special information is the timing, I’m guessing it’s like any other Mass at the Vatican, which means, like any other Mass: first come first serve, and if you’re healthy leave seats for the infirm. There may be some reserved seats at the front for “guests of honor”, but that’s it. No cardinals are required (in theory, the Pope himself doesn’t need to be a cardinal). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-mass-at-st-peters-who-gets-to-sit-in-the-pews-also-merry-christmas/775586/3 "2016-12-25T06:46:20Z")
I don’t believe there are pews in St. Peters. So nobody sits there. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-mass-at-st-peters-who-gets-to-sit-in-the-pews-also-merry-christmas/775586/4 "2016-12-25T09:23:02Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > I don’t believe there are pews in St. Peters. So nobody sits there. [Indeed](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13369b.htm): > [@Catholic Encyclopedia](#): > > No chairs or pews obstruct the view; the eye roves freely over the glittering surface of the marble pavement, where there is room for thousands of people. [According to PapalAudience.org](http://www.papalaudience.org/papal-mass), tickets are always free and it’s first come-first served: > [@](#): > > **Reservation Procedure:** > > The best way to get your ticket for Easter/Christmas Masses is to send a fax from your country directly to the Vatican between 6 to 2 months in advance. > > If the number of your request is not very large, lets say a family numbering 2-6 tickets you will have a bigger chance of getting your tickets. > > Normally the Vatican will reply to your home address with a letter notifying you that they have received your request and where to take the letter at the Vatican to collect tickets. > > They will not confirm tickets have been issued until you go to the prefecture office for collection. > > There you will either receive your tickets or a letter to say there was not enough availability. So, either St. Peter finds your name in the book or he doesn’t. I wonder what happens if you make him wait while you smoke another cigarette. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-mass-at-st-peters-who-gets-to-sit-in-the-pews-also-merry-christmas/775586/5 "2016-12-25T15:03:43Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > I don’t believe there are pews in St. Peters. So nobody sits there. Correct. When I went to visit, I didn’t see any pews. They stand.