Guess what??!? WE HAVE A POPE!! Now, I know this isn't news to all of you, but really, I still can't get over it!! These past couple weeks have been absolutely crazy to say the least. I honestly feel like I'm studying in Vatican City instead of Rome because I am there sometimes more than once every day! Today, I finally have some time to catch my breath, so let me attempt to update you all on the crazy, exciting, sleepless, faith-filled, and exhilarating week I have had! (Yes, it IS actually possible to experience all of those emotions in one week!!)
Before the Conclave even began last Tuesday, March 12, I was already getting emails from reporters (who had received my name from friends) asking me to do interviews! A week ago Monday night, I met in Saint Peter's Square with Robert Kovacik from NBC 4 News in Los Angeles, where he interviewed me LIVE about my experience. We also did a taped segment, and the producers back in LA as well as everyone around on site said I did a fabulous job! I was on cloud-nine the whole walk back to the Tiziano. So much excitement and anticipation for the start of the Conclave!
The first votes of the Conclave took place Tuesday night; however, several of us could not attend due to going to the opera for our music class. The timing worked out perfectly because it was almost a foregone conclusion that we would see black smoke on the first night. Due to classes, I couldn't go to the square Wednesday morning either, but at that point I think we all expected we had a lot more waiting to do. So Wednesday afternoon rolls around, and I am finally free to hang out in the Square and smoke-watch with the rest of the world. We got there around 4pm, knowing that the smoke could show up anytime between 5:00 and 8:00 pm. I went with two friends from my program, Matie and Anna, so the three of us we huddled in the pouring rain speculating about who the new Pope would be and when we would actually see white smoke. We people-watched, listened into the reports of journalists nearby, and made friends with some super nice priests and nuns next to us. As the hours passed, the rain came down harder, the air got colder, people huddled closer, and we became more and more anxious to go back to the Tiziano for our 7:00 dinner. At one point our conversation turned into something like this:
Anna: "I am soo hungry; all I want is some warm soup from the Tiziano. I'm going to be really mad if we miss dinner.".......Me: "Yeah, I almost want the smoke to be black at this point so we can go back to the hotel and just come back here tomorrow."......Matie: "Let's plan on leaving by 7:15 if there's no smoke before then."
Pathetic, I know! Let's just say it was DIVINE INTERVENTION that we didn't leave, because not long after our complaining, the jam-packed square erupted into cheers, and looking up from under our umbrellas, what do we see but WHITE SMOKE! It was literally the last thing I was expecting, which made the moment even more memorable. We were all shaking with so much excitement that we could hardly hold our cameras still. From that point on, I was snapping pictures and videos nonstop. The smoke lasted for much longer than I thought it would--probably close to 10-15 minutes--and all the while, the whole crowd broke out into chants of "VIVA IL PAPA" and songs of "Sanctus" and "Salve Regina."
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| The beginning of a LONG time waiting in the rain for the smoke! |
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| Post-smoke craziness! |
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FUMATA BIANCA!
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Anna, Me, and Matie!
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The hour in between the appearance of the white smoke and the introduction of the new Pope passed by quickly, and the anticipation never died down for a second during that time. At last, the red curtain opened, and the Cardinal Protodeacon gave the famous announcement in Latin, "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam" ("I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope!"). And then came the name: Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina who has taken the name Francesco (of course, Francis in English, but don't you think the Italian sounds so much cooler?!). Funny thing is, for some reason, I expected immediate recognition upon the announcement of his name, but it didn't come until several minutes later. All around us, there was a murmur in the crowd of people discussing in various languages who this new Pope actually was and where he was from. Good thing some of the priests next to us spoke Latin so they could translate what the Cardinal Protodeacon had announced!
For the next 40 minutes or so, the Vatican band played on the steps of Saint Peter's as everyone chanted "Papa Francesco" over and over again. Then, as if on cue, the rain completely stopped, the umbrellas went down, the Cardinals appeared on the balconies of Saint Peter's Basilica, and all attention turned to our Church's next leader emerging from behind the red curtains. The square erupted in cheers at the sound of his voice greeting us with a casual "Buona sera!". I was busy trying to get every moment recorded on videotape and in pictures, which I did plenty of up until his first few words, at which point my camera and phone battery died. I could have cared less in that moment, however; because there I was, in a sea of thousands, witnessing the very first address of a brand new pope--and not just any pope--the first Jesuit, the first from the Americas, the first Francesco, the first after a papal resignation. I can easily say that a memory of that magnitude will never be erased from my mind. He first asked us to pray for each other and the whole world, as well as for Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI. And then, after reciting the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be together, he asked US to pray for HIM. At that point, the noise in the square which hadn't waned all day, suddenly subsided as we offered our silent prayers for Papa Francesco. This was probably the moment it hit me that this was actually happening. Our 2,000 year-old faith has never felt as alive and present to me as it did then. There was this incredible aura of hope and promise. This man, although not much younger than Pope Benedict, seemed so youthful and energized, ready and willing to carry out God's will for the Church with the greatest of humility. I have heard nothing but positive feedback since his election, and judging solely by his past and his small acts of humility in the last couple days, I already love him!
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| Coolest moment EVER! |
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| Papa Francesco!! |
The next couple days, none of us could focus in class due to the hype of Wednesday night. During Italian class Thursday morning, we probably spent half the period sharing (in Italian) our experiences of the white smoke and our impressions of this new Pope!
On Friday, the Los Angeles NBC reporter who interviewed me on Monday requested that I meet him again for a second interview. I shared my pictures and video footage of the election Wednesday night, and then he interviewed me about my experience in the square. I got to visit the NBC office near the Vatican, go up on the rooftop where they film their broadcasts, watch Robert do a live segment, and then watch him interview Cardinal Collins from Toronto! TV journalism in action, my friends! SO COOL! I will post the link to the interview when I get it!
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| Robert interviewing Cardinal Collins |
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View from NBC rooftop
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On Sunday Papa Francesco said his first mass and his first Angelus (the daily Sunday prayer that the Pope prays from his apartment window with the people in St. Peter's Square). It was way too crowded to even attempt to get into the Basilica for mass, and even showing up an hour and a half early for the Angelus was not enough! I was in the far back of the square, but I got a few good pictures from afar. The Pope gave a brief homily about mercy, and I loved his main message. He said: "The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking forgiveness."
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| A crowded Piazza San Pietro on Sunday for the Angelus |
The most recent main event in my Vatican City "study abroad" experience was yesterday's papal inauguration mass. Along with 5 of my fellow students, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and trekked down the street to the Vatican, arriving by 4:30 to stand in line. Already there were people lined up at the end of Via della Concilazione (the main street that leads up to the Basilica). At 6:30 on the dot, the guards opened up the barricades, and all of us who had lined up outside made the mad dash down the street and toward the entrance to the square. It was literally frightening. There were so many people that all 6 of us held hands as we ran so we wouldn't get separated! Once we got toward the front, they let about 30 people in at a time to go through security before entering the square and claiming a spot. Well, our early wake-up was worth it because we ended up to the front-most possible area of the square behind the chairs that were set up for the heads of state from various countries. Mass didn't begin until 9:30, but the next couple hours passed relatively quickly thanks to the new nun friends we made! They shared the shade of their American flag with us and gave us food as we stood there getting to know each other. We exchanged contact information, and they invited us to the pizza parties they hold at their mission house just outside Rome. We were also surrounded by several other English speakers, and you could just feel the shared excitement as we connected with each other thousands of miles away from home.
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The heavens are smiling. With your humility, you have already entered our hearts. Happy Pontificate Papa Francesco!
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Around 9 a.m., Papa Francesco made his way through the masses in his Popemobile, and when he came through the central pathway in front of us, we were only about 5 feet away from him! The mass was incredible as well. The main parts of it were in Latin, but the readings and Responsorial Psalms were in various different languages including English, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Swahili, Chinese, French, and Arabic. One of the highlights of the mass was the exchange of the Sign of Peace because there you had about a million people, all speaking their respective languages, yet all sharing the same sign of peace and the same commitment to our faith. WOW. Our Church truly is universal.
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| VIVA IL PAPA!! |
I could just go on and on with the papal happenings of this week, but I'll stop for now. My main take-away for this week is just how incredibly blessed I am to have witnessed not just history in action, but true FAITH in action. Doesn't get much better than that.
And on a side note: some other exciting things that happened since I last wrote:
- I got an adorable care package from my sweet first semester Rome roomie, and future junior year roomie, Cara--complete with a puppy beanie baby, sour patch kids, and all!
- My friend Allison from the States who is currently studying in Florence came to visit me in Rome on Saturday, and I got to show her all around this city that I adore oh so much.
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Playing tour guide for Allison in the eternal city!
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- Oh, and I went to Belgium two weekends ago! Stay posted for a separate blog post on that fabulous trip!!
