Papal Blessings

Information for the Clergy & Faithful of the Diocese of Lancaster

 The Diocese of Lancaster does not issue Papal blessings itself.  Instead, requests for Papal Blessings are handled for the Vatican by the Apostolic Nunciature (the Embassy of the Holy See to Great Britain). 

If you are a parishioner in the Lancaster Diocese, the request for a Papal Blessing should be placed in a letter from your Parish Priest to the Papal Nuncio but sent to the Diocesan Bishop. 

In the letter from the Parish Priest the following should be included: 

(1)  A written recommendation from your Parish Priest of the persons to receive the blessing, attesting to their good standing in the Catholic Church. In the case of a wedding, both parties should be Catholics.   

(2)  The contents of the blessing, clearly printed, including:  

a.    The name(s) (typed or written in capital letters) of the people to receive the blessing. 

b.    The occasion to be celebrated (birthday, wedding, ordination, wedding anniversary, etc.). Anniversaries should be of a special nature, such as the 25th, 50th, or 60th. Birthdays should also be special, such as 80th or 90th, and so on. 

c.    The date of the occasion. 

d.   If the blessing is for a wedding, include the full name of the church and town/city.

(3)  An honorarium offering of £25, (cheque) made payable to the “Apostolic Nunciature.”  

The Bishop will then examine the request and if appropropriate add his endorsement before the application is sent on to the Nunciature.

Your priest would need to apply at least 3 months before any designated celebration, as it may well take some time to process the blessing in the Offices of the Vatican.