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April 25, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 8Oakland,
CA
Oakland priest witnesses
events leading to papal election
Father Paul
Schmidt, former pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Concord and St. Margaret
Mary Parish in Oakland, arrived in Rome, April 6, during his sabbatical
from diocesan duties. He has witnessed the historic events of the past
two weeks – the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the conclave, and
the election of Pope Benedict XVI. Below are excerpts from his daily dispatches
to
April 8
Attending the papal funeral
If you were an early riser this morning in Rome’s old city district,
you could have spotted a sight unusual to U.S. eyes. Thirty-five black
cassocks were rushing along the cobblestone streets.
This was the delegation from the Casa Santa Maria, the U.S. residence
for priests doing graduate study in Rome. I am a guest at the Casa and
was one of those cassocks.
How I was able to get to the papal funeral was almost miraculous. I cut
short a stay in Naples to get to Rome on April 6. At that time, the word
was out that it would be almost impossible to get in to the funeral.
But things in Rome often change. Soon it was known that some would be
able to get tickets. One had to have a cassock, surplice, red stole, and
the all-important ticket, which was in the form of a letter. It is generally
understood that the tickets somehow miraculously multiplied, like the
loaves and fishes.
With the help of my guardian angels, two Oakland priests — Fathers
Hy Nguyen and Sergio Lopez — I was able to acquire all these things,
including the ticket.
The eloquence of a simple wood casket
The funeral of Pope John Paul II was an unprecedented gathering of the
powerful and the ordinary people of the world. The heads of state, including
the president of the United States, were in Rome in great numbers to pay
tribute to a man who helped to change not only the religious world but
the map of the world.
In the piazza and arrayed as far as the eye could see were the ordinary
people of the world, who responded so heartily to this pope, who brought
the Gospel of Jesus Christ into their lives in warm and dramatic ways.
Applause is a custom in Rome. It broke out many times, finally drowning
out the Sistine Choir who were trying to sing the Magnificat as the pope’s
casket was carried to his tomb.
But the pope had a final message for both the rich and powerful and the
ordinary people. Death comes to us all and levels us all. A plain wood
casket speaks silently of the inevitability of death. It reminds us all
that we will be in a grave some day.
The liturgy of the Church completed the message. Jesus Christ rose from
the dead and is alive. We who believe in him can overcome the bonds of
death as he did.
The music of the Requiem Mass and the Easter Alleluias sung at the papal
funeral proclaimed that faith again and again. Death is swallowed up in
victory.
Before the casket was finally carried out, the 12 men carrying it paused
at the door and turned it around, then dipped the lower end of it, so
that all could see the cross on top. This was like a final bow from the
pope who was, among so many other things, a dramatist and an actor.
He received a thunderous ovation, a fitting reaction as the curtain came
down on his farewell performance.
A day of peace
Heads of state gathered to honor Pope John Paul II. They also demonstrated
something else, perhaps unwittingly. They could exist in the same place
at the same time for several hours and be at peace.
Granted that there were missiles poised and helicopters hovering and sharpshooters
alert at every vantage point. But what was happening in St. Peter’s
Square was a moment of peace.
It is not a coincidence that such a rare moment should occur at such a
gathering. The pope is a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who came
to bring peace to the world. Gathering in the name of Jesus can bring
the world to peace. If only we could learn this lesson.
This moment of peace was a last gift of Pope John Paul II to the world.
April 11
Preparing for a successor
The cardinals are having daily meetings in preparation for the conclave
to select John Paul’s successor. Everyone is wondering what they
are talking about because they are forbidden to campaign for the papacy.
I suggested that they might be talking about what is needed in the Church
today, just as our local parishes discuss the parish needs when a new
pastor is to be assigned.
A wag at the table said that they were probably talking about what all
old men talk about — their health problems. Considering the short-lived
papacy of John Paul I, that might be a prudent thing to consider.
April 14
Displaying cassocks for next pope
The Gammarelli firm is famous worldwide for ecclesiastical haberdashery.
They and other religious goods stores around Rome have been doing a lot
of business these days, as visiting clergy stock up on albs, surplices,
cassocks, and other clerical garb.
Displayed in the window of the Gammarelli store at present is their greatest
claim to fame, the piece de resistance of ecclesiastical apparel: the
white cassock of the new pope. I should say white cassocks, because there
are three, one for a tall pope, a second for a medium sized pope, and
a third for a small pope.
Into one of these the newly elected pope will climb before he goes out
on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to give his first blessing
to the people and to the world.
The word is that Pope John XXIII could not fit into any of the cassocks
prepared by the Gammarellis. Drastic alterations were required before
he could make his inaugural appearance.
Which one, if any, will fit the new pope? Speculation is already adding
up votes for this cardinal or that cardinal. It is difficult to know where
this “information” comes from, since the cardinals are not
talking.
April 16
Visiting the tomb
If a pilgrim gets up early, there is less of a line to wait in before
passing by the tomb of Pope John Paul II. This pilgrim got out early and
set out for St. Peter’s Basilica. On the way through a back street,
I spotted three cardinals, whom I could not recognize, emerging from a
hotel. A television camera was present.
Two were talking to each other, and the third may have been talking to
the camera, but presumably saying nothing. Speculation in the media has
shifted from Cardinal Ratzinger to Cardinal Sodano as the leading candidate
to be the next pope. Speculation will continue up until the time the white
smoke emerges from the Sistine
Chapel chimney.
The crowd management at St. Peter’s is very efficient. All pilgrims
must now go through a security check and a metal detector. Those wishing
to pay their respects to the deceased pope are directed in a line separate
from those wishing to enter the basilica.
The way into the crypt, which is directly under the floor of the upper
church, passes some interesting spots.
The wall of Constantine’s basilica is indicated, as well as that
of the renaissance church. Mosaics from the old St. Peter’s are
on display. I was wishing the line would move more slowly, so that I could
examine these more thoroughly.
The first pope’s tomb one passes, with a stone likeness carved atop
the sarcophagus, is that of Boniface VIII, not the most attractive holder
of the papal office. He is the pope who insisted that every human being
must be subject to the Roman Pontiff.
More familiar popes follow: Pius XII, Paul VI, John Paul I. John XXIII
is upstairs under an altar; John Paul II is in the space Blessed John
XXIII formerly occupied. Apparently “movin’ on up” happens
in St. Peter’s, too.
The Vatican Museum must have an endless store of art works from previous
ages. They were able to find a very appropriate stone carving of the Madonna
and Child to mount on the wall behind the plain white Carrara marble tomb
itself.
Karol Wojtyla, whose motto as a bishop was “Totus Tuus” dedicated
his life to Mary, for whom he always had special devotion, especially
after his mother died when he was very young. Now Mary watches over his
grave. A single vigil candle burns before the tomb.
April 18
Mass for the election of the pope
The Sacramentary is the book with Mass prayers for all occasions. One
special Mass seldom used, at least in recent years, is the Mass for the
Election of a Pope. Today that Mass was concelebrated in St. Peter’s
Basilica by the entire College of Cardinals. A large gathering of bishops,
priest, religious, and laity filled the basilica for the celebration.
Every large celebration in St. Peter’s is bigger than life. The
huge church itself lends a monumentality to whatever happens within it.
Human beings are dwarfed by the sheer size of the place, not to mention
the centuries of history that seem to hang about the place.
Mass to elect a pope is certainly one of the most important things to
take place within these hallowed walls.
From the place where the priests were sitting, we could see many of the
cardinals enter one by one. They come in various sizes and shapes and
colors. I counted 10 African cardinals.
The cardinals from the United States were there, including California’s
Cardinal Roger Mahony. One of the stateliest was Cardinal Avery Dulles,
SJ, one of those over 80 who will not vote but whose opinion has probably
counted for much during these days between the death of Pope John Paul
II and the conclave.
Cardinal Josef Ratzinger was the chief concelebrant and homilist. He preached
from the Bible readings chosen for the day: Isaiah on the gifts of the
spirit, Ephesians on building up the Body of Christ, and Jesus in John’s
Gospel on love.
He spoke of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Jesus, the need
for maturity in the Church to resist a catalogue of “isms,”
the necessity of finding freedom and joy in the truth, and the challenge
for the cardinals to chose a man who would have the same zeal and dedication
as Pope John Paul II.
At the end, the organist played J.S. Bach’s version of the Blessed
Trinity, the 3-part Fugue based on the “St. Anne” hymn tune
(“O God our Help in Ages Past”), an appropriate conclusion
to an occasion of fervent liturgical prayer.
The Holy Spirit now gets busy, we hope, helping the cardinals to make
a very important decision.
April 19
Waiting for smoke signals…
The place to be in Rome last night (April 18) was St. Peter’s Square
(which is not square but round, and is better called a piazza). All eyes
were focused on a chimney atop the corner of the Sistine Chapel roof that
is visible from below.
The media were there in force. At one point I was interviewing two media
interviewers, one whose regular beat is Cairo.
Giant television screens set up in the piazza brought close-ups of the
chimney. As time went on, expectation and the crowd grew.
In addition to the chimney, one other change was noticeable from the ground.
A crimson drape had been hung over the central balcony of the great facade
of St. Peter’s Basilica. Onto this balcony the new pope will step
to give his first blessing.
I spoke with some young people from Notre Dame who were doing a year’s
study in Rome.
They had been waiting all afternoon. One of them had been interviewed
three times, and scored a fourth soon after. Asked why Pope John Paul
II appealed so much to youth, he said that his journeys and the World
Youth Days made him accessible and known. The young people were focused
not so much on the past but on what was coming next.
Occasionally a pair of policemen would wander through the crowd, looking
the scene over. There was a peaceful and friendly atmosphere. It was like
a tailgate party without food or drink.
At 8 p.m., about an hour after the expected time, smoke began to emerge
from the chimney.
Applause started. The smoke looked white, but it was not very strong.
A few more white-looking puffs came forth. The crowd began to react. Then
stronger streams of black smoke began to come from the chimney.
Soon it was evident that the night vigil would be in vain. No pope had
been chosen. Not many were surprised at this turn of events. The crowd
quickly dispersed. Tomorrow is another day.
April 19
Black smoke, white smoke
The cardinals did their work quickly today. Smoke began to come out of
the well-watched smokestack at 11:50 a.m.
I had arrived at St. Peter’s Square at 11 a.m., just in time to
be let into the area where there were seats.
A Spanish-speaking group near me was from Honduras. They were excited
about their young cardinal, Oscar Maradiaga, who plays the saxophone and
is very strong on social justice issues, the World Bank and Third World
debt.
They described him as charismatic, but did not think that at age 62 he
was old enough to be pope yet.
A media person said during an interview that the papacy was the only job
for which old age was an asset.
Gradually the seats filled up, and the whole piazza began to become crowded.
The chimes ringing every 15 minutes made people jump with nervous expectation.
Italians nearby were reading stacks of newspapers, all filled with articles
about the conclave. An English priest across the aisle was dozing, then
began saying the Rosary.
As noon approached, expectation mounted. I spoke with a young Swiss couple,
who said they had no faith but were there for the historical significance.
A Vietnamese priest sat beside me and said in halting English that he
was counting on the Holy Spirit.
Ten minutes before noon, the smoke started coming out of the chimney.
The crowd stirred. It was not clearly black or white at first. Eventually
the crowd began to shout: “nero” — black. It was all
over for the morning, and the crowd quickly dispersed.
I caught a bus back to the Casa Santa Maria in time for the 12:30 Mass,
figuring that more prayer was needed.
Habemus Papam
When I arrived at St. Peter’s Square at 4:20 p.m., I expected a
long wait for more black smoke. I overheard an interview given to British
television describing how there would be a deadlock, and eventually a
Brazilian pope would be elected. I smiled and moved on.
Not all the seats up front were taken, but I decided rather to stand and
circulate. Rain was threatening and actually fell for a short time. Umbrellas
opened like fast-blooming flowers, then quickly disappeared.
At about 10 minutes to six the smoke started coming from the chimney.
It was not certain what color it was at first. The crowd was cautious.
They had been fooled last night.
But soon it was evident. White smoke was coming from the chimney and disappearing
against the clouds in the sky.
Security people began moving in front of the basilica. Then the great
bell began to swing and then to peal, along with the smaller bells at
its side.
The piazza filled, and the applause swelled as each new sign appeared.
Flags of various nations, including the USA, were waving. A Brazilian
group began chanting “Habemus Papam” as if at a sports event.
Announcing the election of a pope must be one of the most enjoyable things
a cardinal gets to do. The announcer always draws it out dramatically,
but as soon as he said “Josephum” the cat was out of the bag.
“Reverendissimum” and “eminentissimum” and a few
other “imums” followed before he came to the final word Ratzinger.
But by then everyone knew.
