The Traitors’ Harry Clark reveals 6 ways to enjoy Rome – including trying to see the Pope

by

Most 25-year-olds visiting Rome focus on typical tourist spots like the Trevi Fountain, gelato, and the Colosseum. However, Harry Clark, the winner of the reality show The Traitors, isn’t your average 25-year-old. A former Army engineer and a practicing Catholic, his trip to Rome had one specific purpose: to meet Pope Francis. He even had a custom-made football jersey with ‘Leo 14’ – a reference to the Pope – printed on it.

As someone who really loves movies, I found this documentary fascinating. The filmmaker, Harry Clark, is Catholic, and he explains that Rome is basically the heart of his faith. After making a previous film called Pilgrimage, he jokingly told his producer he wanted to go to Rome and, get this, grill the Pope with tough questions! That joke turned into Harry Clark Goes to Rome, and it’s a wild ride watching him schmooze his way past Vatican guards, secretaries, and even cardinals, all in a bold attempt to get face-to-face with Pope Leo XIV. It’s a really charming and audacious story.

Did Harry, who was portrayed as a traitor on the reality show, get a meeting with someone important? You’ll have to tune in to find out. However, he was deeply moved by his visits to the Vatican, St. Peter’s tomb, and churches containing relics of saints. He reflected on the history and beliefs of those places, saying it was a surreal experience to walk among such significant sites as Harry Clark from Slough.

Here he shares six ways to enjoy Rome if you can’t get a powwow with the Pontiff.

Confess your sins

I recently learned that anyone can go to confession while in Rome. I went to St. Patrick’s, an American Catholic church, and it was a surprisingly powerful experience. It had been almost ten years – since I was sixteen – since my last confession, so I felt quite nervous and had a lot on my mind! I ended up talking for a long time. I’ve always been hesitant about therapy, not trusting someone else with my personal issues, but confession felt like a really effective form of it.

Eat all the pizza

I’m a pretty picky eater – I usually just eat chicken nuggets and fries. My mom was concerned about what I’d eat on our trip to Rome, but it turned out the food was great! I mostly ate pizza, focaccia, and ham and cheese toasties – I especially love pepperoni. Luckily, I also drink a lot of coffee, and the coffee in Rome is amazing – although it’s very strong. I even found out that the drink called an “Americano” originated during World War Two, when American soldiers asked for their espresso to be diluted with water.

Pack in for the Pope

One of the best parts of my trip was getting a blessing from the Pope in St. Peter’s Square. Every Sunday at noon, the square fills with people—thousands gather just to see him appear at a window and offer a blessing. It’s amazing to start your week like that! About 40,000 people attend, making it a truly incredible experience. Even though he spoke in Latin, my mom and I understood everything and could feel the powerful energy of the moment.

Climb a hill

Let me tell you about a perfect Roman sunset spot. I hiked up Janiculum Hill – locals sometimes call it the eighth hill – and the view was breathtaking. You can see the entire city spread out before you. As the sun went down, these massive black birds were circling overhead, and tucked away on the hillside, I discovered this tiny, almost hidden church. It’s a popular place for photos, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone propose there – it’s that romantic!

See the countryside

I highly recommend taking the train if you’re traveling from Rome – we took a trip to Assisi in the Umbria region and it was well worth the two-hour journey. I loved Assisi so much I could easily see myself retiring there someday – it’s a beautiful hillside town with stunning views. I was especially keen to visit the tomb of Saint Carlo Acutis, a British teenager who died in 2006 and was recently canonized in 2025. He’s often called “God’s Influencer” because he created a website documenting miracles. His story really struck me – it’s much easier to connect with a modern saint, rather than someone who lived centuries ago.

Take a Traitor test

While in Rome, I made sure to check out the Mouth of Truth, a large stone sculpture of a face located near the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church. The tradition is to put your hand inside its mouth – the story goes that if you’re lying, it’ll snap shut, but if you’re telling the truth, it will stay open. It was a fun experience, and thankfully, the Mouth of Truth didn’t bite – proving I’m not a liar!

Authors

Lucy Thackray

Read More

2026-03-23 21:25