All Souls’ Day in Vatican City
All Souls’ Day falls on November 2 and is listed as a public holiday in Vatican City. The commemoration centers on prayer for the faithful departed; Vatican employment regulations also identify it as a day of vacation for covered staff.[1][2]
Meaning and origins
The Church’s Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed is a day for remembering the dead in prayer. Vatican News describes the liturgy as highlighting the Paschal Mystery and Christian hope in Jesus’ victory over death.[2]
The date has a medieval history. Vatican News traces the November 2 commemoration to Abbot Odilo of Cluny, who in 998 required the monasteries under his authority to observe a day of prayer for the departed. It also notes that Pope Benedict XV permitted priests to celebrate several Masses on this day in 1915.[2]
The holiday in Vatican City
The Vatican City calendar lists November 2 as a public holiday. The Roman Curia’s General Regulation separately names the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed among its vacation days, and the regulation for lay staff of the Vatican Basilica’s Chapter also includes it. These provisions establish a day off for the employees they cover; they do not by themselves establish that every service in the city closes.[1]
The Curia regulation says that its listed holidays do not create compensatory rest when they coincide with Sunday or with the weekly rest day assigned to shift workers. The Vatican Basilica Chapter regulation has a similar rule for Sunday or a shift worker’s rest day.[1]
Prayer and papal remembrance
A documented papal observance shows how the day can connect prayer in Rome with remembrance inside Vatican City. On November 2, 2025, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at Rome’s Verano Cemetery; after returning to the Vatican, he prayed privately in the Vatican Basilica Grottoes for departed pontiffs.[3]
That account records a particular observance, rather than a fixed annual programme. The broader religious focus is prayer for all the faithful departed, not only for popes or clergy. Vatican News explains that the day’s Masses draw attention to Christian hope in the resurrection.[2][3]
There is no standard Vatican City food custom or recurring public ceremony that visitors can expect every year. The cemetery Mass and prayer for departed pontiffs are examples of papal observance, not a guaranteed schedule.[2][3]
Practical notes for visitors
The Vatican Museums’ regular closure page lists November 1 among its annual closing dates, but does not list November 2 in that set. Check the museum’s current opening information before planning a visit, since the closure list alone does not confirm that a particular date will be open.[4]
Visitors should check directly with shops, banks and transport operators about their November 2 arrangements.[1][4]
Frequently asked questions
When is All Souls’ Day in Vatican City?
It is observed on November 2. The Vatican News liturgical calendar identifies the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed with that date.[2]
Is it a public holiday and do people get the day off?
It is listed as a public holiday in the calendar for this page. Vatican regulations designate it as a vacation day for Roman Curia staff and lay employees of the Vatican Basilica’s Chapter; those rules do not establish work arrangements for every employer or service.[1]
Are the Vatican Museums open?
Their regular closure page lists November 1, but not November 2, among annual closure dates. Check the current museum schedule for the date you plan to visit.[4]
Is there a papal ceremony in Vatican City every year?
A documented observance in 2025 included Mass at Rome’s Verano Cemetery and private prayer for departed pontiffs in the Vatican Basilica Grottoes.[3]
Sources and references
Sources used for All Souls' Day in Vatican City:
- Regolamento Generale della Curia Romana- Ufficio del Lavoro della Sede Apostolica (ULSA)
- Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)- Vatican News, Dicastery for Communication
- Celebration of Holy Mass at Verano Cemetery, 02.11.2025- Holy See Press Office
- Days & Hours of closure- Vatican Museums