HABEMUS PAPAM!

Well, as I am sure you are aware, we have a Pope.  And his name is Pope Francis.  Wow.  Here are my thoughts from the past few days.  Also, my camera battery died, so I do not have any pictures from the anything, but that is OK.  I was able to take it in and not really worry about taking pictures, which was a good thing.  The conclave opened with a Mass Tuesday morning with all of the Cardinal electors, and I was privileged to be able to attend the Mass with most of the house.  While some of my classmates went to class that morning, I weighed my options: 1 (one) moral theology class, or being a witness to history. And history won.  So I was at the Mass.  I sat next to Sister María Ella, a sister from Bolivia.  We had a great conversation in Spanish for about half an hour before Mass, and that was neat.  She is a very holy women and was very edified by the presence of so many young (and good looking) American seminarians.  The Mass was very cool, knowing that the future Pope was there with us.  While we weren't very close to the aisle, I did see Cardinal DiNardo from Houston, Cardinal Dolan from New York, Cardinal O'Malley from Boston, and Cardinal George from Chicago all process in.  (Favorite Cardinal George quote: "It is great to be here in the marvelous Diocese of Joliet.")  So that was great.

That night, the seminarians had our formation night in the Square so that we could see the smoke when it came billowing up from the Sistine Chapel.  While we knew that there would not be a pope elected that evening, we still were out there, standing in the cold and rain.  I really appreciate the time we spent out there because it solidified what was really going on when we saw the smoke come out.  Like I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Cardinal electors were gathered in that chapel, praying and voting, to elect the next pope.  It wasn't just something that existed in my mind, it was a reality.  And that was super cool to realize. Knowing that this was actually happening  and that I was there, was unreal.

Wednesday was a pretty big day, so I will try to get it all on here without rambling too much.  The day opened with Mass, as it usually does, but this wasn't just an ordinary Mass.  We had Mass at the tomb of Blessed John Paull II, which was incredible.  Knowing that we were praying with such a holy man was a great gift, and I definitely took advantage of this opportunity to pray for my favorite summer program: Totus Tuus!  Totus Tuus was the papal motto of JP2, so it was cool to be able to pray for the continued success of the program in Joliet, and especially for the teachers (and coordinators!) who will be working this summer.  After Mass, I went to class, where I missed the morning smoke.  But class blew my mind, which is what usually happens when you have the papal theologian teaching you.  Learning about the different vocations of men and women was very eye opening.  The vocation of women is unbelievably beautiful, so all you female readers out there, keep on being holy and bringing us men to God!  But it was after class that the real fun began.

I arrived at the Square at 5:30 PM, waiting to see the smoke.  All of Bernardi came, and all together, we prayed Evening Prayer and a Rosary, which was cool.  Just waiting in the Piazza, the atmosphere was one of great anticipation.  While we were all hoping to see the white smoke, nobody was really counting on it.  We all had out eyes fixed on the chimney, and the seagull who decided to sit on it, waiting to see the results of the election.  But then, at around 7:05, there was a ton of commotion.  And then we realized what was going on, which was probably my favorite moment of the night.  And this a brief transcript of my thoughts during those moments.  O my gosh, there is smoke!  AND IT'S WHITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HABEMUS PAPAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So from that moment, there was a mad rush towards St. Peter's, so that we could see the next pope as he came out.  I ended up being pretty close, probably 75 feet from the front barricade, which was just incredible.  Waiting the hour before he came out, the anticipation was building,  There was so much joy and the atmosphere was truly electric.  We had no idea who our new pope was.  But we had one.  We had a new pope.  And there was great joy and celebration.  And when the time finally came for the Cardinal to come out and announce to the world that we have a Pope, the Piazza went nuts.  Absolutely nuts.  But when they announced who was elected pope, everyone had pretty much the same reaction:  Wow, that's awesome, but who is he? And why did he choose the name Francis?  That's a surprise.... Word spread in the crowd and standing with an Italian speaking deacon was helpful.  But then, after a few minutes of waiting, Pope Francis finally came out.  And my favorite line that he said was what he said right when he first came out: "Fratelli e sorelle, buona sera." (Brothers and sisters, good evening).  It was almost as if he was just like "O hey guys, what's up?"  And to be there when he came out was incredible.  It was easy to see that he is just a simple man who the Lord is going to use to continue the mission of the Catholic Church in the world.  In the Piazza, there was so much excitement, joy, and a real sense of the universality of the Church.  I knew that all around the world, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, were waiting for this moment, and here I was, experiencing it in person.  What a gift.

I really think that the Lord has blessed His Church with a new shepherd.  When I think of Pope Francis, I almost immediately think of Pope Benedict's first words as Pope. They are just humble workers in the vineyard of the Lord.  Pope Francis isn't going to try to be anyone that he isn't. He is just going to let the Lord use him in great service to the Church.  I am also very excited that he is from Latin America, but not for the usual reasons.  I just love Latinos.  I am not a huge diversity advocate or have major problems with Europeans.  I just love Latinos.

Well this is all I've got.  The Lord has blessed His Church with a good shepherd, and it was a blessing to be a witness to that.  As I have said many times, the Lord will never forsake His Church, and He has clearly given us a man who will dedicate his life to bringing his people, the whole Catholic Church, to Heaven.  And to close, I end with one of my favorite toasts:  Long Live the Pope!  And Death to his enemies!