People standing on the confessional in Saint Peter.
Is it still a custom? :-)
What those people are doing there? Are they from some saint Andrew fraternity, having particular privilege to seat during papal mass on saint Andrew statue?
LIFE magazine reported that time that this was the first time since Charlemagne's coronation in 800AD that a Pope has said Midnight Mass.
LIFE magazine reported that time that this was the first time since Charlemagne's coronation in 800AD that a Pope has said Midnight Mass.
Rome was liberated by the Allies on 5 June 1944. From then on it was common to see Allied soldiers on leave in Rome and the Vatican. The men standing on the confessional in St Peter's are most likely Catholic US, British or Canadian soldiers. I doubt if anyone minded too much where they stood. For most, if not all, of these men it was their first time outside their home countries and the opportunity to celebrate Midnight Mass with the pope in Rome was not an opportunity to be passed up!
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