Practical guide to obtain an apostolic blessing of Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV is already granting apostolic blessings to faithful from all over the world, a spiritual gesture that can be officially requested through the Apostolic alms of the Vatican.

These blessings, printed in parchments, are a consolidated tradition in the Catholic Church and are available for significant moments of Christian life, such as the sacraments of baptism, confirmation or marriage.

As indicated on the website of the apostolic alms of the Vatican, the procedure to obtain an apostolic blessing can be carried out in two ways: personally in the offices of this department OA through a form on line.

Those who opt for the face -to -face route must go to the offices located within the city of the Vatican, entering the door of Santa Ana, to the right of the Colonnade of the Plaza de San Pedro. The schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., local time.

For those who are not in Rome, the digital procedure is equally accessible. Through the official website of Apostolic Alms – the only page authorized for this purpose – applicants must follow several steps.

The first is to select the occasion for which the blessing is requested (such as a baptism, marriage or anniversary); Then, choose the parchment model; Subsequently, enter the data that must be included in the document; And finally, register the applicant, choose the delivery method (local collection in Rome or shipping through DHL Express) and make a credit card donation (Visa and Mastercard are accepted).

The requested data include the full name of the recipients of the blessing, the concrete occasion, the date and place of the celebration (in case of sacraments or anniversaries), as well as the complete address with email and the sender’s phone. The system also allows you to open a personal account for future applications. Once the transaction is confirmed, the apostolic alms will send a confirmation email with the estimated delivery or collection date.

The application time is approximately 25 days if you withdraw in the Vatican office, and 30 days for international shipments. The cost of the parchment ranges between 20 and 30 euros, depending on the model, this is added the shipping costs that vary according to the destination, from 15 euros for destinations within Italy, to 40 euros if the shipment must be made to Africa.

It is important to underline that, once the elaboration and shipping costs are discounted, everything collected is entirely destined to the charity works that this office performs in the name of the Pope to help the most needy.

As for the valid occasions to request the apostolic blessing, the alms establishes strict criteria. They are granted for sacraments such as baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, priestly or permanent deacon ordination, and religious profession.

They are also available for significant anniversaries of these celebrations, and for birthdays that mark decades or especially relevant ages (such as 50, 75 or even 100 years). In some cases, such as matrimonial anniversaries or birthdays, the petitioner is asked for a “declaration of suitability” that proves that the recipients are practicing Catholics.

Applications are not accepted by ordinary mail, fax, or email and any request outside the authorized ducts will be automatically rejected.

Obtaining an apostolic blessing is not only a symbolic gesture of communion with the successor of Peter, but also a direct support to the charity works that the Pontiff carries out in the name of the entire Church.