From St. Peters Basilica to St. Peters, Missouri: We Have a New Pope

Yesterday afternoon I was talking on the phone with my friend Lou when a news alert pinged my e-mail inbox shortly after 1 p.m. I read the headline that white smoke had risen from the chimney at the Vatican -- the College of Cardinals had elected a new pope.

Lou and I cut our conversation short, and I turned on television.

As a Catholic, I have to admit that I was excited to watch the live shots of the crowds standing in the rain, waving flags and thumbing rosary beads, awaiting the appearance of our new pope.

I flashed back to my one and only trip to Italy, when I visited the St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel with my friend Ligaya in March 2004. It was an amazing trip to a beautiful country.

Yesterday, from the comfort of my living room--in St. Peters, Missouri--I waited for our yet-to-be named Pope to appear on the balcony at the Vatican. 

As the wall clock clicked off minutes and the grandfather clock chimed twice, I wondered how long it would take before the identity of our new pope was revealed. I hoped it would be before I left at 2:25 to pick up my grandson from school.

Even the announcers on news stations sounded excited as the Swiss Guard assembled, a band began to play, and everyone watched for movement behind the balcony curtain. I switched from station to station to see which camera had the best angle and which commentary was most interesting. I settled on two channels, the primary being EWTN, the "Catholic" channel.

Minutes before I had to leave the house, a cardinal, dressed in scarlet, stepped from behind the white curtain and announced, "Habemus Papam Franciscum." Memories of Latin class kicked in, but still I wondered, did he just say, "We have Pope Francis"?

Yes. That's right. Our new pope selected the name of Francis, which brought to mind St. Francis of Assisi, the gentle saint, and patron saint of animals.

As I stood at the door, keys in hand, I took time to listen to Pope Francis' blessing. In the car, listening to the radio, I heard him recite the Our Father and Hail Mary in Italian, although it sounded like Latin to me.

On the parking lot of All Saints, while I waited for my grandson to come out of school, the church bells began to chime, celebrating the selection of a new pope.

When my grandson got in the car, I told him about our new pope, and he told me he already knew because his class watched it on TV in their classroom.

I read this morning that Pope Francis has already sent his first Tweet. I pray for our Church and for Pope Francis -- the first pope from the "new world"-- while I wonder what changes lie ahead.

Pope Benedict XVI's Resignation Announcement Evokes Memories of My First Trip to Germany

This morning I was surprised to hear that Pope Benedict XVI is going to resign at the end of the month due to his physical condition and advanced age. According to reports, this is the first time a pope has resigned in almost 600 years.

Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI is the ninth German pope and the first German pope in nearly 500 years. According to news reports a new pope is expected to be elected by Easter.

The thought of electing a new pope took me back to August of 1978, the month Pope Pius VI died, the same time my husband Walt were taking a trip to Germany to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.

You might wonder what the changing of the guard at the Vatican had to do with our vacation. Back in 1978, so did I.

Walt was born in a Bavarian town about thirty miles from Munich, not too far from the town where the current pope (Benedict XVI) was born. Bavaria is a predominantly Catholic area of Germany, strong in faith and strong in tradition. During our vacation I discovered just how strong.

Walt emigrated to the United States when he was a teen. Our vacation was going to be his first return to Germany since he'd left. He planned the trip. His sister Helga helped pay for our tickets, and his sister Irma watched our children. In addition to seeing the sights of Germany, we were going to visit Walt's family and attend the wedding of one of his cousins.

Because of the death of Pope Pius VI on August 6, 1978 -- until a new pope was elected -- the Church was in mourning. After our arrival we found out that the parish priest refused to officiate at Walt's cousin's wedding celebration.

Although I couldn't understand much German at the time, I remember seeing lots of tears and waving of hands and hearing heated exchanges among Walt's relatives. His cousin's wedding had been planned for more than a year. Many Deutschmarks had been spent on dresses and flowers and decorations and music and food wine and beer!

I don't remember if it was because a new pope (Pope John Paul I) was elected, the mourning veil was lifted, or if the family finally prevailed, but the wedding was held on the scheduled date and we were able to attend.

The old Gothic church was beautiful; the wedding was a lavish affair, with a solemn ceremony, a lovely bride, and the hoods of several Mercedes-Benz decorated with flowers. There was lots of food and drink and dancing and singing, and some memorable and unusual traditions.

It's hard to believe our anniversary trip was almost thirty-five years ago. Time flies, memories fade, but some traditions live on.