"Vatican City - Headquarters of the... " a Vatican City Travel Page by fairy_dust

I went to Rome for World Youth Day 2000, and of course, I visited the Vatican while there. It was a big deal for my group, being devout Catholics, and we all loved it. St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are the places I loved most, and we got to see them before they became filled with millions of pilgrims from around the world, since we had our tour of the Vatican a while before WYD actually started.

Once WYD started, Rome and Vatican City were filled with people. Pope John Paul II was present at the opening ceremonies, which were one of my favorite events of WYD. My group was standing in St. Peter's Square, and I saw the pope standing in front of the door of the basilica (though from where I was standing, he was just a little white figure!). When we first arrived in the square, we were tired from having to walk through huge crowds, and I actually wanted to leave. But as soon as I saw the little white figure that was the pope, I felt better and started to enjoy the atmosphere. There was music, flags from different countries flying high, and people cheering. It was so beautiful that I actually cried while the WYD 2000 theme song (L'Emmanuel) was playing. I didn't want to leave anymore, and I knew I would remember this event forever.

Another touching moment for me during the opening, was when the different countries participating in WYD were named, and every Canadian in the square cheering as soon as they announced Canada. And after all the countries in America were named, everything went silent, and then the pope said "John Paul II, he loves YOU!" We all went crazy with the cheering after that!

I returned to Rome in 2007 and of course I had to see the Vatican again! This time I'm glad I came on my own because I could explore at my own pace and do what I wanted without having to follow a chaperone around. Even though I didn't get to see Pope Benny, I still enjoyed my visit.

If you're in Rome, the Vatican is definitely worth visiting no matter which religion you are. Even if you are not Catholic, you will love the architecture, history, and overall beauty of this little country within a country. Of course as a Catholic, the religious value meant a lot to me, but there is something for everyone.