Sic, Habemus Papam!

I wasn't going to go into the city yesterday because I had a paper to write. I told myself that I wasn't going to go. I was going to sit in my room and write my paper. I was. I really was. I told myself that there wouldn't be white smoke. There was going to be black smoke; I'd be disappointed, and I'd waste a lot of time that should be spent on my paper.

But I went. In spite of my paper, I went into the city.

It was raining when my friend, Grey, and I got to St. Peter's, but it didn't deter us, we pushed and shoved our way to the front, ducking under umbrellas and around people. Then there was no where else to go, so we stopped. We weren't terribly close, but then again, we weren't to far away either. I couldn't see the chimney because of all the umbrellas, but that didn't really matter because it was going to be black smoke anyway. So we stood there for about an hour. Someone's umbrella nearly took my eye out, but other than that, it wasn't terribly exciting. Maybe I should have stayed home and written my paper. Dum de dum de dum.

Then there was a gasp. "Oh," I thought, "Black smoke." But everyone was screaming, Grey grabbed my arm, "It's white, it's white!" He shouted. Then I was screaming too. The crowd surged forward, but we were ready. Elbows out, we charged through the crowd trying to get to the barricade. The bells were ringing, people were shouting, laughing, crying, singing. "Habemus Papam!" We all shouted.

We didn't make it all the way to the barricade, but we were dead center in front of the balcony, so it didn't matter. Even once the crowd could no longer move, the bells kept ringing, and the white smoke kept pouring from the chimney. Everyone was still cheering: "Viva il Papa! Viva! Habemus Papam! Viva!" The noise was deafening, and I was joining in. We sang, laughed, shouted at the people in front to put down their umbrellas and flags. We kept laughing, singing, and shouting. Where was the Pope?

Grey and I were absolutely ecstatic. We were in St. Peter's square when the white smoke went up. We were there, we had a great view. Where was the Pope? We sang along with the Italian seminarians next to us. We shouted, "Viva!" At the tops of our lungs. We sang the Salve Regina. Is someone we know holding that giant American flag? I think so. Where's the pope. I wonder what name he'll choose. Viva! I have no idea. Oh my goodness! We're here! Habemus Papam! We're here. We're going to see the pope. Oh my goodness! Viva! Habemus Papam! Umbrello! Umbrello! Put the umbrella down! I wonder what's taking so long.

The ecstatic happiness of the crowd didn't wane at all in the thirty minutes we waited for the new Papa.  The energy of the entire church seemed concentrated in that one tiny place. Everyone was either laughing or crying with joy, no one could stop. We were all there! We were all going to see our new papa! The emotions were limit less.

Then the lights in the rooms behind the balcony went on. Silencio! Shhh! Shhh! Oh wait, never mind, they just turned the lights on. Oh wait, wait. Never mind. Where is he? I'm so excited! I wonder what name he'll pick. Not Benedict the 17th or Peter the 2nd, I guess. Oh, oh, oh! They're opening the doors! Hurray! Hurray! Silencio! Shhh! Wait, what's that he's saying? Shhh! Who? Cardinal who? Wait, what? Okay, okay. Shhh! Silencio. Hurray! Viva il Papa! What did he say? Who is it? What's his name? Gosh, I didn't realize how bad my Italian was.

Wait, behind us. Wait, I heard them say Jesuit. He's a jesuit. Okay. Bergolio? Who? I have no idea. What's his name? Wait... Francesco! Francesco! Francesco! Francesco? Francis! He chose Francis! Francesco! Francesco! Viva il Papa! Viva! Wait, Francis the what? Goodness, there's never been a Francis before! The first ever Francis! This is crazy! So much history in one semester! What a great time to be in Rome! Francesco! Francesco!

Oh, oh, oh! Here he comes! Hurray! Hurray! Papa! Papa! Papa Francesco! Papa Francesco! Oh, oh, oh, wait. Shhh! Silencio! Silencio! Brothers and Sisters... Uh huh, understood that. What's he saying? What's he saying? Hmm? Oh, Ave Maria, gratia plena... Oh, this is in Italian. Mumble mumble mumble. AMEN! What's he saying? Oh, pray for me. Okay. Okay. Why are we all quiet? Oh! Praying for him. Right. This is the most deafening silence I've ever heard. Now it's time for the blessing, but there's not room to kneel. In nomine Patris et Filio, et Spirito Sancto. AMEN!

Well, there he goes! Goodness! We have a pope! We were here! Here! In St. Peter's Square when it all happened! We definitely picked the right time to come! Oh my goodness, I'm so happy I could burst. I've never been so happy in my whole life!

And that's how it happened. I haven't been able to really sort through my feelings about it yet. I'm just so happy! And so glad I was able to be there. I miss Pope Benedict, I really do, but I love Papa Francesco so much! All I can tell you about the whole election, is that everyone was so happy, so ecstatically happy, and the joy was infectious. I actually saw a conga line of Franciscans dancing through the square, chanting, "Francesco! Francesco! Francesco!" At the top of their lungs. We were all smiling and smiling. And ejaculating about how lucky we were to be there, and how sure we were that it wouldn't be tonight.

After we left the square, we decided that a proper meal was in order, so, of course, we stopped at Habemus Pizza for pizza and a fanta limone before charging the metro to get home. Even the metro was infectiously happy. Little nuns chattering away, young people laughing and joking, and the elderly smiling.

When we got back to campus, the occasion obviously called for champagne, so we broke some out, drinking first to the health of our Pope Emeritus, then to our Papa Francesco. The first pope from the Americas! The exuberance lasted well into the wee hours, then finally we all fell into exhausted, but very happy sleep.

Habemusne Papam?

The day's finally here! It's been a long wait for all of us here in Rome; most of the Cardinals have been here for weeks, and the excitement has been mounting by the day! The first vote will take place this evening, and I for one, plan to be in the square when the smoke, white or black, goes up for the first time! I'm seriously hoping that the new pope is elected before I leave for Germany on Friday. Maybe it's a bit much to ask, but I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, Jesus will give us all that gift. Of course, I want the Cardinals to vote carefully and take the time to elect the right man, but if they could do it sooner rather than later, I'd be very very happy.

Prayer for the Conclave:

Heavenly Father, We the People of God, gathered in solidarity as did the disciples in the Upper Room, pray for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the cardinals who will be in conclave for the election of the next Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ. May the hearts of our cardinals be open to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, beyond human judgment, to elect the candidate most pleasing to you, Heavenly Father, and who will guide the Church at this momentous time in history at the beginning of the Third Millennium. We invoke our Mother Mary, united in prayer with the disciples in the Upper Room, to intercede for the cardinals to select the next Holy Father in docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, her divine Spouse, Holy Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, we entrust this conclave to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, and offer these prayers for your guidance and protection over the choosing of the next Vicar of your Son. one Our Father one Hail Mary one Glory Be

Our Lady, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us!  

Papal Update

Once again, totally behind on everything, including blogging. Rome is an incredible place right now, so much energy and excitement!

It's impossible to express how blessed I am to be in Rome at such an exciting time. I remember driving to the airport, and thinking, "Y'know, I could just stay home. I don't really have to go to Rome." Little did I know that only a month later, I'd be caught up in the most exciting thing I've ever done. Not only did I get to attend the last public mass, but I was also there for the last Papal Audience. 

The audience was fantastic. St. Peter's square was absolutely jam-packed with people from all over the world. Flags were flying, people were singing, and the mood was completely joyful, as we waited for the pope to arrive. We all had our backpacks crammed with religious items for Benedict to bless, and we had our intentions, so that our friends and families back home would also get the blessing.  As the time approached the tension heightened, and it was all I could do to not jump up and down in my seat. 

Then a voice over the loud speaker began calling the names of different groups from different countries. First Italian, then Spanish, then German, and finally, English. We all waited with bated breath while the voice called the other university groups. At first, I was afraid that we wouldn't be called. But finally they called us, and we cheered at the top of our lungs, waving our flag proudly. It was the most elating feeling to know that the pope knew we were there, and that we loved him and were loyal to him. After several more languages, the voice stopped, and we were caught in suspense for another ten minutes. 

Then the organ blared out, and everything fell silent, then, to one side, the crowd caught sight of the Pope, and the square erupted in cheers. I ran through the crowd, and for the first time, got to see Pope Benedict up close. 

I was so elated, and I remember shouting, "Papa!" as the pope mobile drove serenely past. When I could no longer see him, I turned around and saw two of my friends trying to balance on a small plastic chair in order to see over the crowd. Then we resumed our seats, as the audience began.

The moment the readings began, the entire crowd was completely still and silent. Then the pope made a long address in Italian. Of course, I couldn't understand it at the time, but the line that stuck with me after I read the translation was, "The heart of a pope expands to encompass the whole world." I think this really sums up Benedict's pontificate. A simple, German scholar becomes pope, and God gives him all the graces to fulfill his duties and then some. 

After the Audience, we went back to campus to hold our traditional Greek Olympics. Or at least, we pretended to. In reality we were waiting for the papal helicopter to fly over, so we could bid one last farewell to Papa Benedict.

(James Bernard or Ryan Reedy)

As we lay on the ground, we saw the helicopter hesitate, and a tiny white speck appeared at one of the windows. Then as it moved on, towards Castel Gandolfo, we all ran after it, cheering. It was a very personal goodbye from all of us here on campus.

Later, a friend and I went up to Castel Gandolfo. We'd missed the very last speech, so it was very quiet in the piazza even though there were cameras and news crews everywhere; The whole town was hushed and joining the Pope in prayer. I bought a rosary from a small shop, and spent the last hour of Pope Benedict's pontificate praying outside the papal residence. 

Then the clock struck eight. Very slowly, the Swiss Guard saluted, and then, noiselessly closed the huge wood doors. Then, it was all over.

Awkward and Awesome: Rome Edition

Awesome:

1. Getting tickets for the last papal audience on February 27th!
2. My trip to Vienna this weekend. I'm going with all my German class buddies, so we're going to try and make Frau Dr. E. proud! It's also supposed to be snowing, which will be fabulous.
3. Blood Orange flavored Fanta- so wonderful. Why don't we have blood orange flavored stuff in the States.
4. Long talks and many adventures with good friends

Awkward:

1. You know those rude boys who were trying to flirt with you on your all girls silent retreat? Yeah, those ones. Yeah, that was the Swiss Guard. *facepalm*
2. Public transportation at rush hour. Personal bubbles are non-existant
3. Italian plumbing. Nuff said. 
4. Being ginger. In Italy. 

Ich Liebe Dich, Papa!

Apologies for my absence; we've had history and theology tests because apparently living history doesn't excuse you from learning it. Where to start. Well, last Sunday I went to the Angelus in St. Peter's square and squinted up at a tiny white speck, who, I knew, represented Christ on earth. "This," I thought, "is what it means to be Catholic!" And along with the Italian school children, we all shouted, "Viva el Papa!" On Monday I was sitting in Art History, really ready for lunch, when our RA came in and maked the breathless announcement that the Pope had resigned.

Resigned?

Popes can resign?

I have to admit that I was in shock. I vaguely remember pushing past people to get to the TV in the lounge. It was all true. The story ran over and over: Pope Benedict...no longer able...has resigned. I stood staring at the screen, unable to even comprehend what I was hearing. All I could hear was my Dad's voice, saying, "It's Ratzinger!" When Pope Benedict was first elected. I remembered how excited we had all been, even though we were all Anglican. I remembered my confirmation, when Pope Benedict became my papa too. I thought about all his books I haven't read, but how much I admired him. I started to shake uncontrollably, and then the tears came. I didn't care that I was surrounded by people; I was so confused and shaken.

Then the excitement set in. "We're gonna get a new Pope and the old one isn't even dead. Isn't that great?" So the emotions went back and forth: hysterical weeping, excited chatter, tears, talking, but finally we settled on excited. 

We were even more excited when we learned that the Pope had cancelled Ash Wednesday Mass at Santa Sabine and, instead, was having it at St. Peter's. We were all ecstatic because we knew we couldn't go to the mass at St. Sabine, but we had a chance at getting into St. Peter's. We were all ready to skip classes, and head to St. Peter's before 8 am. But we all waited until 11:30, and that was the perfect time. We got in the very front of the line, and were among the first 100 people into the Basilica for Pope Benedict's final public mass! 

It was such a bittersweet experience. On one hand, it was sad to see how frail the Pope is, but one the other, it was joyful because it displayed Pope Benedict's faithful service to the church, particularly over the last eight years. It was also a very humbling experience; the Pope was not putting on a final performance. He was saying a Mass, surrounded by those he loves the best- Catholics from all over the world, from every walk of life. And, as he gave his last public homily, he begged us to "turn to the Lord with all your heart." Even with all the attention on him, Pope Benedict was preparing us to be unified under a new pope. 

Just before the final blessing, one of the Cardinals stood up and, in Italian, thanked the Pope for his service. There then followed the most respectful standing ovation I've ever heard. The whole Basilica broke into applause, but not noisy, rowdy clapping: respectful and reverent applause. It was a manifestation of the love, deep respect, and gratitude that every person in the Basilica felt for him. 

It was truly a beautiful experience, and I'm not sure how I can convey the Pope's love for every single person on this planet. It was one of those things you could just feel. I felt as though he was truly my father, and that we had a very deep, personal relationship, the kind of unconditional love that belongs to Christ. I know that we all feel as if no one could ever replace him, but I know that he wants us to give all the loyalty we've shown him to the new pope. 

Subiaco

There was a man of venerable life, blessed by grace, and blessed in name, for he was called 'Benedictus'...who from his younger years, carried always the mind of an old man; for his age was inferior to his virtue.
- Life of St. Benedict by Gregory the Great

Last weekend we took a trip to Subiaco, Assisi, and Orvieto. Subiaco, for those of you who don't know, was where St. Benedict spend the first three years of his monastic life. Now there is a gorgeous monastery there, perched precariously on the side of the mountain. I was a little worried that the buses wouldn't make it up the hairpin turns, but finally we made it to the top and were rewarded with this view.

  The entire inside of the church is covered in stunning 12th century frescos in vibrant reds, blues, and golds. Because the frescoes are pre-renaissance, the figures are not particularly life-like, but I thought it was absolutely beautiful. They don't allow pictures in the church, but you can browse their website, and see all the frescoes for yourself. The upper church was probably my favorite because it depicted scenes from Christ's life and passion. Even the most illiterate person could have easily understood the Life of Christ just by looking at these frescoes.

When you first walk into the upper church your eye is immediately drawn to a huge painting showing Christ's crucifixion. Although the picture here isn't very good, you can see how busy the fresco is. Of course Christ is the focal point of the work, but he is surrounded by a mass of humanity. I don't know if you can see it, but the soldiers who are throwing dice for Christ's clothes look like Genghis Kahn, which is interesting.

The lower church is a little bit less busy than the upper, but is still very beautiful. The frescoes here show scenes from the life of St. Benedict, especially the many attempts made on his life, which makes for some pretty dramatic frescoes. The ceiling was decorated with Benedict surrounded by the Evangelists and other important figures, which shows his important place in church history.

Another really cool fresco is a painting of St. Francis of Assisi, which was actually painted during his lifetime! St. Francis actually visited Subiaco, and, as far as I can tell, really admired Benedict's monastic life. In fact, Francis grafted his own rose bush to those at Subiaco as a sign of his unity or continuation of Benedict's example. I can't find a photo of it at the moment, but it's really cool, considering that it is the first known image of the Saint.

But my favorite fresco of all is in the Our Lady's Chapel. I think this is a really sweet image, showing Mary after her ascension into Heaven. I also like how the artist used a lot of white because, although it's less vibrant than some of the paintings, it has a real sense of tranquility to it.

We also got to see Benedict's Grotto, which was super cool. I loved the cave, but I thought that the marble statue was absolutely hideous and out of place (so what if it was made by one of Bernini's students?). I kind of wish they'd just left the cave empty because the statue really detracted from the natural beauty and simplicity of the place.

After we toured the monastery, we had the chance to wander around the countryside a bit and enjoy the absolutely stunning views from the top of the mountain.

A view, I believe, over the town of Subiaco, but I could be wrong.

A Trip to the Catacombs

Before I came to Rome, I, like many people thought that there was only one Catacomb, so I felt pretty stupid, when I found out that there are over 70 (only a few have been excavated though). Last week we took a class trip to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian. It was probably the most homeschool-y thing I have ever done in college. We all walked in a pack, while someone wearing a baby-carrier lectured (our history professor). It was an absolutely lovely day to take a walk down the Appia Antiqua, and, you know, just walk where St.'s Peter and Paul walked, like we do in Rome.

Sheep on the Appia Antiqua- probably very symbolic

The Appia is about 16 Kilometers long, and we only walked a short distance, but it is crazy to think that we were walking on the same stones that the Romans laid, and that thousands of holy people and pilgrims have walked.

The Catacomb received it's name because, surprise, surprise, it's where St. Sebastian was originally buried. It was first used as a burial place around the first century A.D. Like all burial grounds from the same time, it is located outside the city walls. It is also located near what used to be a quarry because the rock is very soft at first, but hardens over time. The Romans used this stone in their concrete, apparently. Obviously the catacombs were used for Mass and other rituals during the various persecutions by the Romans, but the catacombs were not secret, as I had been led to believe. The Romans were aware of their existence, which I found interesting. Photos aren't allowed in the Catacombs, but here is a link to the website, if you are interested.

The catacomb is about 7 miles of underground tunnels, which is kind of spooky at first. They have, however, removed all the bones to prevent theft or disrespect, which I found comforting as we stumbled along in the semi-dark. The individual tombs are kind of like little shelves carved into the rock wall-short and narrow. People were obviously a whole lot smaller back then. There are also family tombs which are very deep and have a sort of arch over them.

This is where St. Sebastian's body was first laid to rest after the Romans finally managed to kill him (if you are unfamiliar with the story, see this), but there is also some speculation that Peter and Paul's bodies were also located here at one time. St. Sebastian's body is no longer within the catacombs, but has been relocated to the magnificent church built over it.

I don't have any good pictures of the inside of the church because I felt irreverent snapping photos in a church, but I kind of wish I had because their are a lot of cool things inside. Not only in there the tomb of St. Sebastian, complete with a life-size marble statue pierced with cold arrows, but there is one of his arrows, as well as plaster casts of what are believed to be the footprints of Christ. The church also houses Bernini's final work- an enormous, white marble bust of Christ, created in, I believe, 1679. While this is, of course, an amazing work of art. I think it is totally eclipsed by the fact that there are so many relics in close proximity. Who cares about  a statue when Jesus' own footprints are only a few feet away (no pun intended)?

I also thought that it seemed a little bizarre to make a bust of Christ. I always associate busts with great philosophers and politicians, but not necessarily with Jesus. Are there a lot of works like this one? I'm really interested, so if anyone knows please comment and enlighten me.