I recently returned from a week in Rome, where I attended Board meetings of our schools, Marymount International and Istituto Marymount. While there, I went to Santa Maria Maggiore, where Pope Francis is buried. Since Sr. Mary Genino and I had met Francis when we were golden Jubilarians, I was especially moved by the beauty of this simple tomb.
When the cardinals went into Conclave, everyone I met said (maybe wishful thinking) we’d have a pope possibly on Thursday afternoon, at the fourth or fifth vote. So RSHM Sisters Ana Luisa Pinto and Paré Moreira (Institute Councilors) and I headed to the Vatican and joined the estimated 150,000 others. Sister Sipiwe Phiri (also an Institute Councilor) was there too, but across the piazza.
We arrived around 4:45 p.m. and were fortunate to enter near the “front” of the columns, not too far back and next to one of the big screens, giving us both the actual view as well as the close-ups on the screen. We were entertained by massive cameras sweeping the crowd with everyone waving, by watching the drones and helicopters overhead, and especially by the close-up view of a baby bird being fed by its mother on the roof near the chimney, where the smoke would appear. However, by 6:00 p.m. I was thinking it would only be black smoke. And my back and legs were telling me I couldn’t do this again for the next two days. But about ten minutes later, the white smoke appeared. After another hour, the Swiss guards and Italian military band processed into the piazza, and finally, the announcement was made. With the roar of the crowd, it was hard to hear the name. I didn’t want to use up my phone battery to listen to the media, but gradually, “It’s the American, Prevost” rippled through the crowd. As you know, Pope Leo XIV greeted the crowd and, though my Italian is functional at best, he was very easy to understand. He was also clearly very moved, even choked up by the crowd’s response.
As we made our way out of the piazza, I said I had to sit down. And we also had to wait for the crowds to dissipate. So we went across the street for a bite to eat and lots of water. Immediately I began seeing texts and emails asking if we were “there,” (obviously the only possible “there” that day!) We got back to the Generalate about 10 p.m. tired, but so very grateful both for the result of the election and the incredible privilege of being present at such a historic moment.
