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June 2, 2025[My husband] John and I, along with the 23 University of St. Thomas Catholic Studies students spending the semester with us in Rome, were blessed to be in the square of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, May 8 to see the white smoke and to greet our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.
Our group had been present at Pope Francis’ last Wednesday audience and had “watched and prayed” throughout his long stay at Gemelli hospital. Our group was present on Easter Sunday for his final Urbi et Orbi blessing, present to say final farewells at his funeral and at his tomb at St. Mary Major.
With the announcement of the opening of the Conclave on May 7, our thoughts turned from farewells to anticipation, to white smoke and “Habemus Papam” (latin for “We Have a Pope”).
Everyone in Rome suddenly became a self-appointed conclave expert. John and I predicted a long conclave and, knowing that we had to return home on May 10, set our hopes on being present at St. Peter’s at least for black smoke.
This hope was fulfilled on Wednesday evening, and we strolled down to St. Peter’s on Thursday once more, watching and waiting, hoping and praying.
When the white smoke billowed forth at 6:07pm we, along with the whole crowd, exploded in joy! It was nothing like awaiting the outcome of a political election. It didn’t matter who he was. It didn’t matter where he was from, or what his “leanings” were. We have a Pope!
When a baby is born, we know nothing about who this baby is and how he will impact the world; we rejoice because there is a new human being in the world. Likewise, in that hour between the white smoke and his appearance on the loggia, we were filled with joy because once again our family has a father.
And then he came out to meet us. We could not understand his name (although we did understand that his name would be Leo XIV) and someone behind us had to tell us he was an American.
We did not know who this man was, where he came from. But we could see him, our new Holy Father, standing on the balcony high above us, and we could see his face — an ordinary American face — on the screen.
I’ve seen him described as “smiling gently,” but to me it seemed very clear that he was struggling with emotion and fighting tears. In those minutes, before he spoke, all I could think was that he was showing himself to us, as he was, emotional and vulnerable, but dressed in the traditional garb of the Pope.
In those minutes he was giving himself to us, to the Church, to the world. Giving all of himself, as Servant of the Servants of God, and for the rest of his life.
Oremus pro beatissimo papa nostro Leone. May the Lord preserve him, and grant him life, and make him holy on earth, and deliver him not into the hands of his enemies. Amen!
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Photo credit: (c) CC BY 4.0 | Leo XIV. – das ist der neue Papst | Heute.at
https://www.heute.at/i/papst-leo-xiv-das-boese-wird-nicht-gewinnen-120107300/doc-1iqold7uh4