The outcome of the ballot for tickets to attend Pope Francis’ mass at the National Stadium will be announced only on Aug 5 at 10am. - AFP
SINGAPORE: Catholics who balloted for tickets to attend Pope Francis’ mass at the National Stadium on Sept 12 will know if they have succeeded in snagging a spot at 10am on Aug 5.
Those who are unsuccessful in their bid to attend Singapore’s first papal mass in close to 40 years will get another chance by being placed automatically in a second ballot, which is also open to those who did not register for tickets in the first ballot.
The first ballot for more than 40,000 tickets opened on June 24 and closed on July 31.
The second ballot will open at 10am on Aug 5 and close at 11.59pm on Aug 18, with results to be released at 10am on Aug 19.
Tickets in the second ballot are for an additional 6,000 seats with restricted views, as well as seats allocated to declined tickets that will be redistributed.
Tickets will be issued to successful applicants via their myCatholicSG account from Sept 1. On the day of the mass, attendees will have to produce both their ticket and valid photo identification for checking before they are admitted into the venue.
Tickets are non-transferrable and cannot be reclaimed once declined.
Those who decline their tickets cannot ballot again for a new ticket.
A July 24 article published by Catholic News, the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, said the ballot results were set to be released in the first week of August through notifications via devotees’ myCatholicSG accounts, although initial media reports had pinned Aug 1 as the date the ballot results were set to be released.
An update on the official website for Pope Francis’ visit on July 29 said that successful applicants – who had initially been asked to either accept or decline their e-tickets by Aug 31 – now do not need to do anything if they intend to go to the mass.
However, those who are successful but are unable to attend are now asked to decline their tickets before Aug 18 so that these can be redistributed.
Instructions on how to decline the e-tickets will be made known later.
Pope Francis, 87, will begin his maiden three-day visit to Singapore on Sept 11. The Republic is the last leg of his Asia-Pacific tour, which will also include Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.
He is expected to touch down at Changi Airport at 2.15pm that day. - The Straits Times/ANN
