Official Papal Blessings make an absolutely perfect wedding gift or an anniversary gift to your spouse. They can be received upon one’s wedding, or on the 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th, and 60th wedding anniversaries. The blessings come in the form of a beautifully ornate parchment with meticulous calligraphic text and an image of the current pontiff on the top.
These are two ways to obtain a blessing; by directly visiting The Office of Papal Charities, or by mail (they don’t accept email or phone requests).
Requests for Papal Blessings on parchment can be sent to the Office of Papal Charities only by regular post. The address is:
Elemosineria Apostolica
Parchment Office
00120 Vatican City
The request should include:
- the name, surname and address of the person making the request
- the name and surname of the person(s) for whom the blessing is being requested
- the reason or occasion prompting the request
- the date, the name of the Church and the address are required when the blessing is requested for the celebration of a sacrament, a religious profession or an anniversary
- the address of where to send the parchment and payment details.
It typically takes about one month from the date when the request is received for the Apostolic Blessing parchment to be delivered. The typical cost ranges from €13-€25 plus €10-€30 for shipping. The payment should be made after you receive the Papal Blessing and can be made via a bank transfer (the banking coordinates will be sent to you in the same parcel as the parchment) or by online credit card payment via their website.