Pope grateful to Floreria Apostolica

January 17, 2013 - Pope Francis on Friday expressed his gratitude to Vatican employees who help in preparing and arranging for papal and Vatican events, including furnishing and decoration, saying he has come to realize how precious their work is. The ‘logistical preparation’ for audiences and celebrations in the Vatican, the various meetings of the Pope with pilgrims and Holy See events, is an ‘indispensable work’, the Pope told employees of what is known as the Floreria Apostolica, who met him along with their families. He said “Your activity, that also includes the normal maintenance of Vatican accommodation, is demanding and calls for the spirit of sacrifice and a lot of patience.” As a case in point, the Pope mentioned the arranging of thousands of chairs in St. Peter’s Square for his general audiences on Wednesdays. While thanking them for their professionalism and readiness, he encouraged them to persevere in their duty and maintain an air of serenity, reciprocal trust and benevolence among themselves. A special task of the Floreia Apostolica is the preparation of the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave to elect a new Pope takes place. Employees engaged in this task are made to take an oath of secrecy prior to the conclave.