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Pope Francis will skip the 2021 New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations hosted by the Vatican due to
ITALY – Thanh and Khoa, Tu, and Claudio had a memorable honeymoon when they met the Pope and were blessed by him.
Honeymoon is always one of the most important, meaningful, and anticipated trips of newlyweds. For Ivy Nguyen Ngoc Thanh and Kevin Nguyen Cao Dang Khoa, both 25, their honeymoon became more impressive when they met Pope Francesco at the Vatican in October.
Ivy and Kevin are both Vietnamese-American and Catholic. Therefore, wearing a wedding dress to the Holy See to meet the Pope, to be personally held by his hand and bless, is a privilege and a beautiful memory in life for them. “After those sublime and happy moments, we had beautiful days in Rome. We explored beautiful Italy together. It was a happy and blessed trip,” the new bride recalled.
The couple from the state of California (USA) spent a month of honeymoon traveling around Europe, starting from Rome and then going to Venice, Milan, Paris, Athens, Barcelona, Santorini… Every land in Europe leaves a strong impression on them. However, the two still love Rome the most, because that’s where they got to meet the Pope.
Like Thanh and Khoa, in August 2016, Tu Nguyen (33 years old) and her husband, Claudio Meggiolaro (39 years old) met the Pope on their honeymoon. At that time, the two flew from Malaysia to Italy to enjoy a memorable trip. The priest in Malaysia told them about the opportunity to meet the Pope. He sent a letter to the Vatican, telling of the couple’s wishes. The Vatican responded, sending invitations to Tu and her husband, confirming the time and place of the meeting.
Tu had already prepared what to say to the Pope when he came to hold his hand. But at that time, he stammered because he was trembling and so impressed. Therefore, Tu just smiled brightly. The blessing was quick, but she always felt the Pope’s complete attention as she blessed her. At that moment, Tu was touched and happy. After that, the new bride shared photos of herself with the Pope on her personal page, with the caption: “This is the happiest day of my life. I did not expect to come close and hold His hand”.
After that unforgettable meeting, the couple enjoyed the magical honeymoon days together. They traveled all over Rome, and to the famous Italian Amalfi Sea. The two went on a cruise along with the famous fishing villages and the island of Capri. Although many years have passed, the memory of that trip is always clear and beautiful in Tu’s mind.
These are equal opportunities for every newlywed couple. Everyone has the opportunity to be blessed by the Pope at the Vatican. Meetings with the Pope are usually held weekly on Wednesdays in the square (in case he is in Rome). Those who have an invitation (like the two couples above), will be given the privilege of having a seat in a private area, having an audience with the Pope, and being blessed by him holding hands. Couples will dress up as the bride and groom and be photographed. Everything is free. Unless you want to print these memorable photos, you need to pay.
And outside the square, pilgrims and tourists were packed, waiting for the head of the Holy See to ride a blessing round in the car. If it rains or the meetings are smaller to accommodate the epidemic situation, everything will be held in the large meeting room. In addition to these meetings, the Pope gives short 15-minute blessings and sermons from the balcony of the central square in the Vatican.
