Well, that was close! I had planned to head to St. Peter's Square
about
journalist friend phoned and said he'd heard
there might be smoke as early
as
When I arrived I couldn't find
him. Realizing I'd forgotten my camera,
I
decided to head home. I was just about to leave when the crowd
began to
shout.
Although the crowd was convinced the
smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney
was white, I was not--they'd called it
white yesterday as well. But as it
continued, I began to wonder. The promised bells, however, did not ring, so
I decided there'd been no
result. I wasn't alone: I heard one Italian
reporter say "that's black for
sure--I'm on my way!"
As the smoke continued, I began to
wonder--and then the bells began to peal!
The crowd went wild, chanting and
clapping. The feeling in the Square,
particularly among the young, was quite electrifying. By a mere fluke,
Father Joseph Thoai
from
diocesan youth ministry office, with her
mother--found ourselves together,
in a prime spot directly in front of
St. Peter's.
When the cardinal came out on the balcony
of St. Peter's to announce the
Pope, he only had to say
"Joseph" before the crowd knew who had been chosen
and cheered. Despite all the press speculation, I could
sense (and felt)
some surprise at the result, partly
because of the new Pope's age. But the
crowd was quick to express its loyalty,
chanting Benedict in Italian. When
he appeared, it was impossible not to
think of John Paul's appearance on the
same balcony--and clearly Pope Benedict
was thinking the same thing, for he
made no effort to imitate his
predecessor.
His words were simple, and he seemed
almost shy as he spoke them. Despite
his acknowledged brilliance as a
theologian, it was not difficult to believe
he was sincere when we spoke of
himself as "a simple, humble worker in
Lord's vineyard." I suspect we learned a lot about the new
Pope--and about
what his pontificate holds in store--in
those few moments.
When he entrusted himself to our
prayers, the crowd was quick to respond.
The crowd, as far as I could tell, rivalled in size the one for the funeral
of John Paul II. It was much more difficult to leave the
Square this time,
and a bit nerve-wracking.
There has already been speculation
about the new Pope's choice of name. I
am no expert, but I think it may owe
more to his regard for Saint Benedict,
a patron of
holy, than it does to Benedict XV.
On Monday, Cardinal Ratzinger invited us to pray for "a pastor to lead us
to
knowledge of Christ, to His love, to true
joy." While I did share some of
the surprise expressed at the choice of
a man of his age, I am confident
that we again have a Holy Father who will carry out this demanding mission