Habemus Papam!

Do you remember where you were when the white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel?

We were in downtown Ottawa for the National March for Life Rally. I won’t forget arriving at Parliament Hill and walking through the gates, only to be greeted by a young friend in her 20s, running through the crowd so fast towards us, with a huge smile on her face. You could tell she was filled with such joy. At first, I thought she was excited to see us, only to greet us with “We Have a Pope!!!” She then said calmly, “Hello, by the way.”

What touched my heart about this encounter was that this young woman had entered the Catholic Church just two years ago. To see the young and the not-so-young alike, excitedly exclaiming, “We have a Pope,” both in person and via text messages was amazing. There were joyful celebrations everywhere praising God for the new successor of St. Peter.

During Mass at St. Patrick’s Basilica, there was a word on my heart that we had a new Pope, but when I checked my phone after Mass had concluded, I saw that there was black smoke again. After we left and stopped to eat lunch, we headed towards Parliament Hill. On the way, I had a conversation with a family, just before arriving at the Hill, saying we could get a new Pope while we are on the March. Then to find out the white smoke happened at that moment…go figure!

During the conclave, my mind recalled my pilgrimage to Italy last summer. I clearly remember when I walked into the Sistine Chapel for the first time and the tears that came to my eyes in awe and wonderment of that sacred space. I remember I looked around at all the walls and thinking, “Wow! To think of the number of Popes who were elected in this room, many of whom are now Saints in heaven!” When pictures were released of the Cardinals sitting in the Chapel, I kept getting goosebumps as I pondered my time there and prayed for them. Who knew that 11 months after my visit, another conclave would be convened?

As I continued to watch the videos of people celebrating that white smoke moment, I was amazed at how the whole world was celebrating together as one at that exact moment in time. It didn’t matter that we didn’t know which Cardinal was voted to be our Holy Father; we all just celebrated the fact that we had a new shepherd for the Universal Church. When a Pope dies, and the Church is without a shepherd, it can feel a bit like being an orphan for those 15 or so days until the new shepherd is elected. When that white smoke goes up, it feels like we are whole again.

This has certainly been a season of new leaders for all of us. In the United States, they elected a new President. In Canada, there is a new Prime Minister. Even here in our Community, we have a new General Superior. However, we don’t see people universally celebrating and yelling, “We have a new prime minister! We have a new president.” We, the people, have a part in electing these leaders. But it is different from electing a Pope. It is about the College of Cardinals who listen and follow the movements of the Holy Spirit. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus himself selected Peter as our first Pope, and the keys have been handed down ever since, now to the 267th successor.

One of the four pillars of our Community is that we are loyal to the Church’s

magisterium. The magisterium is the official teaching authority of the Church, constituted by the Pope and the bishops in line with him. Its authority comes from Christ, and its guidance comes from the Holy Spirit. To say we are loyal to the Church’s magisterium is to say we are putting our trust in the Holy Father and follow the teachings of the Church.

There is something special about electing a new Pope. I remember seeing the “Habemus Papam” announcement for Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, but this election is tugging at my heart for some reason. There is a peace deep down inside of me that I really cannot explain. It could be the peace that Pope Leo XIV spoke of in his first greeting to the world:

“It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.”

Yes, change can be hard, and I have a hard time with change. Change has been all around us here in our Community since the passing of Sr. Anna. We each have learned to take it one day at a time, surrender any fears we have to the Lord, and trust the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us even in the day-to-day work that we do. The same goes for the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. Let’s pray for him daily, as in his most recent ‘yes,’ he has taken on the weight of the world on his shoulders. May the Holy Spirit fill him with wisdom and knowledge as he guides the Church in the coming years. Let’s give God permission as we receive his peace, as Pope Leo XIV so beautifully mentioned in his first words to us, “Peace be with you,” knowing that we are not orphans any longer, but are the adopted children of God the Father. Habemus Papam!

Fun Fact: The Popes of my lifetime: