I watched EWTN’s broadcast of the conclave on Wednesday morning. I was excited and impatient to see smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. I saw the 133 cardinals slowly processing in during the longest version of the Litany of the Saints I’ve ever heard. Then it took a while for every cardinal to take their place at the neatly arranged tables, line up, and, one by one, recite the oath of secrecy while putting their hand on the book of the Gospels.
My mother-in-law is in town and watched the broadcast with me. We were trying to guess the continent of origin of the cardinals, and she mentioned some of them having a “Pope face.” I know the Catholic Church is universal, and seeing these men from all corners of the world made it more palpable. For example, I didn’t know East Timor was a country, let alone that it had a cardinal. I learned there is a Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, of which Baselios Cleemis is the archbishop, and part of the college of cardinals. Mykola Bychok, the eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne, stood out because of his vestments and because he is also the youngest member of the College of Cardinals at 45.
Then Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, said “Extra Omnes,” Latin for “everybody out,” meaning anyone not part of the 133 cardinal electors should leave the Sistine Chapel. The door was closed, and then we waited. Listening to the “inside baseball” stats on the possible candidates for Pope was interesting. Interesting in that I’m so far removed from news regarding the curia, that it was nice to hear the profiles of some of these church men who could be the next Vicar of Christ.
If I were in charge of things, which thank God I’m not, I would say a Pope who would focus on evangelization, catechesis, and prayer would be what we need. But then again, I know very little about what the universal Church requires of the next holy father (I didn’t even know East Timor existed). Still, there are several Salesian, Dominican, and Franciscan cardinals participating in the conclave, even a Carmelite (Lars Anders Cardinal Arborelius OCD) who also happens to be a convert to Catholicism, which makes me very excited to think of the possibility of a Pope with any of those religious traditions behind him. After a little over two hours, black smoke came out. It was lunchtime in Phoenix and time for a very late cena in Rome.
The next day, I woke up and grabbed my phone to see that the second and third ballots didn’t elect a new Pope—black smoke again. I prepared coffee and got ready to work, and when I was about to start, the news about white smoke coming out of the chimney broke. My phone started blowing up with messages from several group chats, everyone talking about the new Pope.
Waiting for the balcony doors at St. Peter’s to open felt like an eternity. Meanwhile, a sea of people with flags from around the world started appearing on the screen—the Swiss Guards processed in, a band, and another group of people. I have no idea who they are; they all took their posts before the steps of St. Peter’s.
The doors of the balcony opened, and Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti walked out and said:
Annuntio vobis gaudium:
HABEMUS PAPAM
Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum Robertum Franciscum Sanctae Romane Ecclesiae Cardinalem Prevost qui sibi nomen imposuit Leo XIV
These are some of the reactions my friends and I had: What? Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost? An American Pope? For real? He’s from Chicago!? He’s Agustinian!? He speaks Spanish!? He lived in Peru!? He’s a canon lawyer!?
The 69-year-old Pope walked out wearing the papal mozzetta, the pectoral cross, and the embroidered stole. It was wonderful to see him embrace traditional papal vestments. It made me think of John Paul II and Benedict XVI when they were elected.
I don’t speak Italian, but I understood his first words: “Peace be with all of you!” He had to stop because the crowd was chanting, “Leone! Leone! Leone!” He thanked his predecessor, Pope Francis, and asked us to be one people of God, striving for peace. He then switched to Spanish to address the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, which he led for several years. Finally, he asked for the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession and had us pray a Hail Mary with him before giving his Urbi et Orbi Apostolic Blessing.
Several things were interesting. May 8th is the feast day of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel. Pope Leo XIII wrote the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel in 1884, which hopefully you recite after Mass. In 1891, Pope Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum, on the Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor; this document is the foundation of Catholic Social Teaching and seems important for Pope Leo XIV. One hundred and thirty-four years ago, the Church faced the Industrial Revolution. Today, we’re in a similar situation with AI, a technology that some people have compared to electricity, but we have yet to find out the shockwaves it’ll send worldwide.
The fact that he is a canon lawyer and an Augustinian makes me think he’ll be clear in his teaching, and maybe get an academic Pope like Benedict XVI. This is speculation on my end. However, I’m excited to read his first encyclical, which usually sets the tone for the pontificate.
After this high of finding out about our new Pope, I got a reality check. I came across the reactions of some of my friends who are lapsed Catholics, who claim the papacy is irrelevant, yet were pretty vocal when they shared their grievances with the Church. It was a good reminder that in my Catholic bubble, everything was high fives and celebration, but there will be others who don’t share in this. And that’s okay. I addressed their questions in the most charitable way possible and gave my witness when asked about my thoughts on the Church.
All this to say, pray for those who don’t believe. Pray for those who have gone astray. Pray for those who are spiritual but not religious. And always, always, always, tell the truth with charity. Having a new Pope may be the excuse to have conversations with people who otherwise wouldn’t talk about the faith. As 1 Peter 3:15 says: “Be always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you.”
May God Almighty bless Pope Leo XIV and all of us!
Peregrino is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Sobremesa
Did you follow the conclave?
When you pray the St. Michael prayer, do you say “power of God” or “divine power of God”?
Have you had any Pope-related conversations this week?
1. Only because it was constantly in the news cycle.
2. Power of God. Cast into Hell. And here’s another: “wickedness and snares of the devil” or “malice and snares of the devil”?
3. Yes.
Just “power of God.” I have never heard anyone say “malice” instead of “wickedness”. I like it. I also like “cast” instead of “thrust.” I like the image of St. Michael causally casting the Devil into hell then walking away not looking at the explosion(but it was probably more of a poof). I also like how most pictures of Saint Michael standing on top of the devil with a spear have him with a very mild expression in his face. He is like “this isn’t even worth my time. I feel sorry for you that you chose wrong”