The Catholic Voice online edition

Fr. Paul Schmidt's Dispatch from Rome
Pope John Paul II funeral
through installation of Pope Benedict XVI

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 dispatches to The Voice:

Monday, April 11, 2005

Oakland priest gives eyewitness account of Pope’s funeral and preparations for conclave

The consensus among people on the street to whom I've spoken is that the title "The Great" may be no exaggeration for Pope John Paul II. Everyone says: "He was a great man."

Italians at the Trevi Fountain said that his death was a great loss, and said: "He was a great man." Two German tourists repeated that sentiment.

An Israeli couple on their way to Brussels said the same and added that he was able to influence the world scene. They remarked that it would be hard to fill his place and that his wish for peace was also theirs.
A young couple from Seattle echoed the same statement; the young man is finishing cooking school in Italy and heading home to what he hopes will be a job in an Italian restaurant. They too were young admirers of this Pope.

A couple from Great Britain, who had celebrated their 40th anniversary,
waited 6 hours to be among the last to view the Pope's body. They said the experience was overwhelming. They also commented on the good spirits and courtesy of those who were waiting in line. The wife said she was willing to trust the Holy Spirit to choose the right successor to Pope John Paul II. They both agreed that his would be a hard act to follow.

I met a young man who lives in France but was on his way to Germany. He sat on the Pope's lap in Belgium when he was a baby. Though he does not remember the event, he has a photograph to remind him of it. He said that he admired the Pope but thought he was out of touch with the world of today.

He hopes for a more forward-looking successor. He was educated in a
Catholic school where the daily Mass was very attractive because it
involved participation, and his parents still go to church regularly.
But he and his brother and sister no longer go often because they do not see the Church meeting them and their needs. He had questions to ask about "The Da Vinci Code," which seemed to have captured his interest.

He impressed me as the kind of intelligent, articulate young person the Church needs as it moves into the 21st Century. The challenge not only for the pope but for all Church leaders is to find a language that will reach this inquiring but critical youth.

GETTING A PRESS PASS
Courtesy of Monica Clark, editor of The Catholic Voice, I presented a letter at the Vatican Press Office and was issued a press pass on Monday (April 11), so that I can attend whatever briefings are available during the next few days. I had written that I did not know what the pass would get for me, but that it might get me in to meet Andrew Greeley.

As I was receiving my pass, I looked next to me, and there was Father Andrew Greeley himself, getting his press pass. He had arrived in Rome on Thursday (April 7). He was very impressed by the funeral. He also spoke enthusiastically about the Polish youth.

There are several press offices set up to accommodate the large number of reporters. I went to one just outside the collonade of St. Peter's piazza in time to see a film taking the viewer through the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where the cardinals will reside during the conclave.

This is a very handsome residence used by bishops and others visiting Rome, when it is not used for cardinals at a conclave. It was built by Pope John Paul II, so that the cardinals would not have to live in uncomfortable accommodations set up temporarily in the Vatican Palace, as had been the case previously.

The film then took us on the route the cardinals would travel to and from the Sistine Chapel, gave us some pictures of the inside of the Chapel, with its newly-cleaned Michelangelo frescoes, showed us the urns into which the cardinals and the counters would place the papal ballots, and then had detailed pictures of the iron stove in which the used ballots would be burned.

This obviously was not earth-shaking news, but at least it was more factual than most of the rumors flying around town these days.
I
N SAINT PETER'S MONDAY
Pilgrims are again being let into St. Peter's Basilica. They enter through a door on the right and exit, after making a circuit of the church and its chapels, through a door on the left. There are several important stops on the route.
First is the breath-taking Michelangelo Pieta, displayed behind
a bullet-proof shield. Next comes the chapel of the Holy Eucharist, where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration. Many pause to pray there in the ornate, gilded surroundings. A side altar nearby is flanked by statues of Pius XI and Pius XII.

Next the pilgrims pass by the altar where the body of Blessed Pope John XXIII is displayed. A steady stream of people moves past this shrine, some pausing outside the line to pray. The next stop is the great bronze baldacchino that stands above the high altar and the tomb of St. Peter itself.

From this tour de force of metal casting, the pilgrim's eyes move up to the soaring dome that seems to float above the church. The altar of the chair is nearby in the apse of the basilica, with its window of the Holy Spirit shining through a spectacular sculpted sunburst.

Mass was being celebrated as I passed through. On the other side
of the great church, one finds the body of Pope St. Pius X under an altar, flanked by a statue of Benedict XV and a bronze relief of Pope John XXIII. Many other popes and saints are depicted in heroic statuary in the basilica.

One feature which could easily be overlooked is the abundance of cherubs (putti) which adorn the walls. These are usually in pairs, and they are busy about many things. They hold symbols of the papacy and the Passion of Jesus. They display carved relief figures of popes. And they push and shove each other playfully and sometimes aggressively as they fulfill their tasks. The baroque artists delighted in making these naked baby angels as realistically childlike as possible.

Every day before the Pope John Paul’s funeral, there were concelebrated Masses at the Altar of the Chair for any priests who wanted to come. On Thursday, I participated with Sulpician Father Hy Nguyen, and Father Sergio Lopez, both priests from the Oakland Diocese. There were at least 750 priests and several bishops. A full choir provided music.

Before and after the Mass, the priests were able to view the body of the Pope. The throngs kept coming and passing by the bier. There was an atmosphere of great reverence in the basilica. Young people were kneeling in the side areas praying. St. Peter’s is so large that there is plenty of room for people to gather, and the guards were not rushing people out.

Choirs and organists provided music; when they were silent, there was recorded religious music to keep the atmosphere prayerful.

THE DAY I WENT TO THE POPE’S FUNERAL
If you were an early riser on the morning of April 8 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, Fathers Hy Nguyen and Sergio Lopez, I was able to acquire all these things, including the ticket at the last minute.

For some reason I do not understand, Someone wanted me to be in Rome and at that funeral. So there I was, amid the sea of white surplices seen around the world.

Perhaps Divine Providence wanted to assure that The Catholic Voice would have an eye witness report, but one hesitates to think that Divine Providence doesn’t have more important things to think about.
For whatever reason, I am grateful that I could be here at this time to experience history and be in a position to share my impressions with others.

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.

Pope John Paul II was a man of dramatic gestures. His presence unseen in that stern casket carried a sobering message, a message for great and small to ponder and take to heart.

The liturgy of the Church, however, completed the message. We believe in the resurrection of the dead. 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 of it. 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.

Those of us who come to Mass every week practice making this peace. That is why it is so important for us to participate in the Mass regularly, as Pope John Paul II reminded us by declaring this the Year of the Eucharist.

This moment of peace was a last gift of Pope John Paul II to the world. May his prayers for us in the future help us to find peace in the Church and in the world, without having to have missiles and helicopters and snipers to help us.

Cardinal Law concelebrates Requiem Mass for the Pope

By Father Paul Schmidt

Cardinal Bernard Law, retired archbishop of Boston and current archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, was the principal concelebrant, with four other cardinals, of one of the nine Masses for the late Pope John Paul II today (April 11).

The controversy which occupied the media regarding his presence at the Mass (because of his part in the sex abuse crisis in Boston) was not evident in St. Peter's. The liturgy proceeded without incident.

Cardinal Law spoke of the pope's love of young people, his work for Christian unity, and his faithfulness to his call as the successor of St. Peter.

One of the cardinals concelebrating was another citizen of the U.S. Justin Rigali. At his side was a very short cardinal, said by a priest near us to be the Archbishop of Milan, one of the papabili (possible popes). One reason for chosing him might be that he would make a poor target for an assasin. A would-be gunman would have a hard time finding him in the sights.

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.

DETOURS
It is easy to get distracted in Rome. One sets out for a destination and sees an open church door, or a famous site just down a narrow street. Soon the original destination is forgotten, because of the wonderful works of art or monuments of history which have come to light.

Today on the way to the Vatican Press Office, I passed by all three acts of Puccini's opera "Tosca." The church of St. Andrea Della Valle was along the route. I had lingered in the sumptuous interior a couple days ago, to see where Act I takes place.

Thirteen years ago, when I was in Rome on another sabbatical, the imposing baroque facade of the church had just been cleaned. Unfortunately the intervening years and the pollution from passing traffic have covered it again with soot.

A short distance away lies the splendid Farnese Palace, on the Campo di Fiore where Giordano Bruno (commemorated with a bronze statue)
was burned at the stake.

Front and back, the Palazzo is an exquisite piece of architecture. It now serves as the French embassy. But in Act II, it is where Tosca murders the tyrant Scarpia.

Continuing down the historic Via Julia, one reaches the Tiber river and looks out on the round Tomb of the Emperor Hadrian, now called the Castel Sant'Angelo, an imposing fortress dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, whose statue crowns it. Here is where the hero of the opera is executed in Act III and where the heroine leaps over the parapet to her death, to escape the troops coming to arrest her.

TROMPE L'OEIL
A style of painting very popular in the 16th and 17th centuries in Rome is called "trompe l'oeil." It means "fool the eye."

The most spectacular example of it is in the church of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The ceiling seems to extend forever into the heavens, with saints and angels spiraling up and angels tumbling down.

Another feature of this ceiling is a fake dome. The Jesuits did not have enough money for a real dome, so they had their artist paint one. If the viewer stands in a certain spot the eye is fooled into thinking that there is an actual dome in the church. But as one moves forward, the hole at the center of the dome moves over, so that it is an evident fake.

Lesser examples abound. The Marian Chapel in St. Peter's Basilica
apparently did not have enough windows, so an artist painted two more.
Another church had an ornate pipe organ on one side of the sanctuary but none on the other side. So an artist painted a matching organ, which is very convincing to the eye, if not to the ear.

The facade of the famous Sancta Trinita del Monte, above the Spanish steps, is being restored. A contemporary artist has painted the facade on the screen covering the actual front of the church; the same has happened at the Jesuit Gesu Church, which is also being repaired.

The old saying "Things are seldom what they seem" seems to be very appropriate when looking at churches in Rome.

Wednesday, April 13
Journalists get special briefing on workings of Vatican

Gunther Lawrence is a gregarious Jewish man who has been involved in
interreligious dialogue for some years. In an effort to improve the way the media report religious news, he has organized conferences for media people, in the name of what is called the Interreligious Information Center.

This week he had scheduled a meeting in Rome for about 30 media people, most writers for daily newspapers. One of the participants is Don Lattin of the San Francisco Chronicle. They met at the Casa Santa Maria, where I am staying. Having received my Vatican Press pass yesterday, I felt it would be a good thing to sit in on their meetings today. They graciously did not throw me out.

The group was scheduled to meet with cardinals who head various Vatican congregations. However, most Cardinals are otherwise occupied these days. Some have also lost their jobs automatically, due to the death of the pope. Their assistants carry on their work.

Fortunately for us today, the two "lesser lights" were Americans, Archbishop Michael Miller from the Congregation for Education and Dominican Father Noia from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. A panel of student priests from the Casa Santa Maria also sat on the hot seat to answer questions.

Both curial representatives gave historical background to the Roman Curia. Then they described the work of their particular congregations.
The Roman Curia has roots back into the Middle Ages, when the Bishop of Rome asked priests of his diocese to assist him. As popes were consulted more and more by bishops from elsewhere, the need for assistants grew. The college of cardinals evolved out of this need.

Eventually, at the time following the Council of Trent, things were organized more formally. As needs have changed, and reform has become necessary, the Roman Curia has been revised and reorganized, most recently after the Second Vatican Council and with the a new revision put into effect by Pope John Paul II.

Of all the detailed information shared, one statistic was especially interesting: There is only one curial member for every 400,000 baptized Catholics in the world. The curia is apparently not overstaffed.

Another interesting item is that United States Catholics comprise less
than 6 per cent of the world's Catholics. What is urgent to us is not
always as urgent to the world-wide scene. One questioner was shocked at the implication that the sexual abuse issue was not being taken as as seriously in other parts of the world as it is in the USA.

The Church in Asia, Africa, and Latin America seems to be thriving, especially regarding vocations to the priesthood, while the Church in the prosperous, developed world seems to be on the decline, though there are some positive signs. The number of priests per Catholic throughout the world has not changed in 25 years; where those priests are located has.

Interesting questions came from the media personnel. They wanted to know about the sexual abuse issues. There was interest in the forthcoming visitation of seminaries and were perhaps surprised that these visitations are not unusual but happen less often than accreditation visitations in U.S. universities. The visitation coming up was requested by the U. S. bishops, not imposed from above.

A challenge for the future for Catholic education on all levels will be to foster a Catholic environment in Catholic schools and colleges. The Church is also concerned about countries where Catholic education is still forbidden by governments.

Questions to Fr. De Noia focused on the process for dealing with priests who had been accused of abusing minors.

Challenges for the future years will be the bio-medical issues and relationships with other Christian and non-Christian faiths: to remain true to the Catholic Faith without being false to other faiths.

In response to one questioner, he gave a more charitable and balance view of his boss, Cardinal Ratzinger, than is generally given in the media.
A highlight of the day was the panel of four priests -- from Cincinnati, San Francisco, Lincoln, Neb., and Nottingham, England. They were asked whether they felt holier being in Rome.

One replied that being in Rome exposed one to the best and the worst of Catholicism; that it was a challenge to faith to be here, away from the people of the parish who do so much to strengthen and support the faith of a priest.

Another remarked: "Martin Luther came to Rome a happy Catholic, and unhappy when he left."

In Rome one sees the Church as it is, warts and all. Confronting this reality can strengthen one's faith. The witness of Pope John Paul II was important to these men.

One singled out the pope's ability to relate to youth, even when he was old and frail.

All agreed that it was a tremendous experience to be here for the events which are enfolding. One had been in Krakow when the Pope died and was deeply moved by the reaction of the Polish people there and here in Rome.

One spoke of the emptiness felt during these days of mourning and compared the experience to that of a family who have lost a beloved member. The nine days of mourning were, he said, a good thing.

One tossed a challenge back to the media people to end the shallow coverage often given to religious matters.

The responses and evident zeal, faith, talent, and enthusiasm of
these priests were outstanding. If the future of the Church is in the hands of priests like this, it will be in good hands.

Thursday, April 14
Store gambles on size of cassocks for next pope

The Gamarelli 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 Gamarelli 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. Media attention is already focused on this store window.
The word is that Pope John XXIII could not fit into any of the cassocks
prepared by the Gamarellis. 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.

Gamarelli is betting that the new successor of Peter will fit into one of their ready-mades. This may be as close an idea anyone has of who the next pope may be. He could be tall; he could be short; or he could be somewhere in between.

Friday, April 15
Visiting the tomb and sighting the cardinals

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.

Some theologians have argued that this is an infallible statement, because of the emphatic language in which it was expressed. Other theologians have passed the declaration through theological interpretation, so that its rough edges are somewhat blunted.

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 John XXIII, now Blessed, 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. Pilgrims are asked not to pause before the tomb. Some linger in the adjacent areas, praying silently.

On the way out one passes the spot marked as the tomb of St. Peter, under the altar of the church.

A couple from England whom I met outside, said that they had brought their granddaughter to Rome this week, so that she could be part of what was happening these days. They were very moved by the experience.

OBSERVATORE ROMANO
Observatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, employs some excellent
photographers. At every papal event, they capture the close-ups and
panoramic shots as no one else can. Part of the ritual of being in Rome for important events is a visit afterward to the photography department of the newspaper, to order a photographic record of the event -- and to see if one's own mug appears amid the hundreds of shots.

I dutifully made my pilgrimage, just inside the walls of Vatican City, to the crowded room where priests, nuns, and laity were examining photos, sometimes with a magnifying glass.

I was able to find one photograph of myself and Fr. Hy Nguyen SS at
the Mass celebrated by Cardinal Law. For the funeral itself, I had to be content with the photographs of the sea of white surplices where I was located. The 20 pictures I will pick up next week will make a memorable album of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Saturday, April 16
Visiting the tomb and sighting the cardinals

Monday, 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 vatious 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.

That's what I could decipher from the Italian.

The Sistine Choir of boys and men were in good voice, alternating with the congregation in the Gregorian chant, which included the Mass of the Angels, and providing harmonized psalm verses for the longer processional chants.

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.

Sunday morning brought me into contact with two cardinals. I got out early to see the spectacular baroque church of St. Ivo in Sapienza, which is not on view very often.

Next I went to the church of St. Louis of France, the French National Church. Twenty-six priests walked in procession to begin the Mass.

Behind them followed Cardinal Lustiger, the retired Archbishop of Paris, who has been considered a possible pope. Unfortunately, I had great difficulty deciphering what he was saying in the homily, due to the softness of his voice and the speed of his delivery -- not to say my minimal French. I did hear him allude to the Good Shepherd, to whom this Sunday is dedicated.

He also mentioned the awesome responsibility of placing his vote in the ballot cup in the presence of Michelangelo's intimidating painting of the Last Judgement. His manner was genial and animated. And he smiled. I have heard that his health is not good, which could account for his faintness of voice.

After rushing back to the Casa Santa Maria, I was able to concelebrate with the other priests in the house with Cardinal McCarrick, the Archbishop of Washington DC. He is also a kindly, smiling prelate, who spoke to us in understandable English.

He recalled Pope John Paul II's ability to concentrate in prayer, which the cardinal witnessed on one the Pope's visits to the USA. He reminded us of the importance of being able to pray.

He spoke of the forthcoming conclave more in terms of discernment than of election. He compared it to the discernment of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for which we were praying on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

He asked us to invite promising prospects to serve the Lord
as priests, brothers, and sisters. He mentioned that one of the cardinals had said: The Lord has already chosen the next Pope; we just have to find him.

Cardinal McCarrick expressed his confidence in the Holy Spirit, who
would help the cardinals find the one the Lord has chosen. He said he hoped that the conclave would not be too long, but that it also would not be too short. He said that he hoped that the cardinals would have the time to get to know each other well and to make a deliberate discernment. He asked for the prayers of all of us.

I suspect that other cardinals have been delivering a similar message around Rome.

Today, after the morning Mass, this special group of men were locked behind the walls of the Vatican, not to emerge until they have found the Pope that the Lord has already chosen.

Wednesday, April 20
Black smoke, white smoke: A day to remember

The cardinals did their work quickly on the morning of April 19.

Smoke began to come out of the well-watched smokestack at 11:50 a.m.
I arrived at St. Peter's Square at 11 a.m., just in time to be let into the area where there were seats. I sat down and waited in comfort.

A Spanish-speaking group near me was from Honduras. They were excited about their young cardinal, Oscar Maradiago, 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.

I spoke with a family from Boston and their son who were thrilled to be there. The son was wearing a UC Berkeley baseball cap given him by a friend, which emboldened me to approach and ask if they were from Berkeley.

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.

The giant television screens in the piazza showed the increasing crowd. Drums and music were heard as the Swiss Guard and a band, with other gentlemen in exotic uniforms entered the space just behind where I was standing. They got a round of applause.

Cardinals came out to stand on the balconies beside the central one with the crimson drapery, where a banner was now hung.

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.

Then the name: Benedictum XVI.

As a seminary professor used to say, the crowd went foolish. Cheers,
applause, Viva Il Papa. Benedetto, Benedetto from the enthusiastic Italian youth.

The new pope came out, clad in the white cassock and red stole familiar in papal pictures, and waved to the applauding crowd. Then he had a few words in Italian, saying that the cardinals had chosen him as successor to John Paul II to work in the vineyard of the Lord. He said that he was unworthy and asked for our prayers, then commended himself to the Virgin Mary.

Next he gave the Latin papal blessing, which prayed for the forgiveness of sins as well as blessings upon the people. The band played the Papal March, which is not the most solemn piece of music, and the pope waved again and smiled and went back inside the crimson curtain.

Many people remained to talk and to offer their reactions to the hordes of media men and women who were seeking interviews. I went looking for
Germans, who seemed somewhat scarce. Those I found all said they were surprised and delighted.

What’s in a name?
Popes pick their names carefully. Benedict XV followed St. Pius X. He is known as the unknown pope, but he did some important things. I see the choice of name as a gesture of peace within the Church. Benedict XV ended some of the internal strife that had occurred during the reign of Pius X. It will be interesting to hear the new pope's explanation of why he chose that name.

At the age of 78 the new pope cannot be expected to last as long as Pope John Paul II. Like Leo XIII he may surprise everyone. But he is probably seen as a transitional pope, to move gradually from the papacy of John Paul II to what lies ahead, with a minimum of upset.
John XXIII surprised those who elected him for the same reason, so we shall see what Benedict XVI does. He has the same baptismal name as Giuseppi Roncali.

Peter and Paul and modern media
Two giant television screens are placed in front of the heroic statues of Saints Peter and Paul that stand in St. Peter's Square. One could not help wondering what these two apostles would think of their new companions.

Certainly St. Paul would have taken naturally to this electronic medium for proclaiming the Gospel. Tonight everyone in the piazza could see more than a little dot on the balcony of St. Peter's.

They could view close up the smile of the new pope as he waved to the multitude that was greeting him so enthusiastically. They could hear his strong voice as he spoke to them and blessed them over the sound system.

Saints Peter and Paul could have done wonders with giant-screen TV in a Greek or Roman amphitheater. Of course the Romans could have also had instant replays of the bouts between Christians and lions.

Thursday, April 21
The legacy of Benedicts – more than a name

Pope Benedict XVI surprised and delighted his colleagues at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith yesterday (April 20) by dropping in to greet them.

In explaining why he chose the name Benedict, he mentioned that most popes named Benedict were not around too long. At the age of 78, this is obviously a matter to be considered.

The Pope also spoke of St. Benedict, one of the patrons of Europe, who came on the scene at a time of great turmoil. The Roman Empire was falling apart. Benedict began a spiritual and intellectual movement which helped to rebuild European civilization.

The new Pope also spoke of Benedict XV's efforts for peace during World War I.

A Catholic Encyclopedia survey of popes Benedict reveals that indeed only one lasted longer than a decade. Benedict XIV in the 18th century left many permanent marks on the city of Rome and the Church -- including a process for the canonization of saints.

Benedict XV, who followed St. Pius X in 1914, suffered from frail health and lasted only until 1922. While working with Pius X during the Modernist crisis, he advised moderation. Secret groups of zealots, known as Integralists (persons best described as holier than the Church), were conducting a theological reign of terror, denouncing any theologian or Scripture scholar who did not meet their narrow notion of orthodoxy.

While some serious errors needed correction, many loyal scholars were silenced or intimidated. Pope John XXIII wrote in his journal of his own fears at that time.

When Benedict XV took over in 1914, the Integralists were supressed.
The Eecyclopedia states, not without irony, that the Integralist mentality has not completely died out. One hopes that Benedict XVI will imitate his predecessor in handling the remnants of this movement which persist in our own day.

Benedict XV's peace plan for ending World War I was ignored by the world powers in 1917. If it had been heeded, the Second World War might not have happened. It is hoped that Benedict XVI's efforts for peace will meet with more serious consideration.

One characteristic of Benedict XV need not be followed to the letter by his successor. When Benedict XV died, the Vatican had to borrow money to pay for his funeral. The good Pope had given away all the Holy See's money in war relief and other charity.

While Benedict XVI will certainly be generous, prudence may dictate that he leave enough in the Vatican coffers to pay for his
funeral and provide at least a modest nest-egg for his successor.

VENI, VIDI, VICI
People who do crossword puzzles can still recognize the importance of these words of Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered.

Except for a few legal and medical phrases, Latin has generally fallen out of use in modern times. With Pope Benedict XVI writing and delivering his inaugural address to the cardinals in Latin yesterday at the Sistine Chapel, the ancient tongue may survive at least another decade or so in the Church.

In his former life, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote and spoke of the
usefulness of Latin as a unifying element in worship. Liturgies at St.
Peters in Rome, where people of all nations and tongues gather, use Latin for at least the sung parts of the Mass, along with vernacular languages for the Bible readings and prayers.

Unfortunately, few people today, in or out of the Church, clergy or lay, know any Latin. I know of only one parish in the Diocese of Oakland (it's name modesty forbids me to mention) whose people would have been completely at home singing the Gregorian chant Mass of the Angels and Credo III at the Mass in St. Peter’s for the beginning of the conclave.

Until some brave pope like Damasus in the 4th century, who changed the liturgical language from Greek to the vernacular Latin, has the nerve to change the Church's liturgical language to English (the new
universal tongue), it might be good for unity in our multi-lingual parishes, if the people could learn to sing a few songs in dead old Latin.

Monday, April 25
Frist Words

Pope Benedict XVI spoke his first words to the Church in the ancient Latin language. What he said, while in continuity with ancient tradition, was very much up-to-date.

His first remarks to the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, and through them to the rest of the world via radio and television, concerned his own mixed feelings about the awesome burden he has been given, and the grace God will surely give him to accomplish the task. He repeated St. Peter's words of faith, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.” And he knew that the Lord replied, “You are Peter.”

The new Pope requested prayers and advice from the cardinals, and, he added, from the bishops. Then he affirmed the collegiality of the bishops with the Pope as a means of unity and an aid in spreading the Gospel.
As could be expected, the Pope referred often and gratefully to the ministry of Pope John Paul II. He also cited the Second Vatican Council and stated his intention resolutely to continue implementing it, as his predecessors have done. He considers the teaching of the Council more relevant than ever in facing the modern, globalized world. ('Globalizata' is not a word to be found in the classical Latin dictionary.)

His words about Christ the light of the world have a special resonance for our diocese, which expects to build a cathedral dedicated to Christ the Light.

Pope Benedict sees a providential coincidence in having his election occur in the midst of the Year of the Eucharist. He connected the Eucharist especially with his words to priests, and to the task of working for Christian unity.

He pledged himself to personal involvement in this ecumenical work, and to outreach to religious and non-religious people throughout the world.
He took up Pope John Paul's concern and affection for young people, and expressed his hope to be with them in Cologne in August at World Youth Day to help them come to know better the living Christ, “who is always young.”

This was not a statement about turning back the clock, but a forward-looking reaffirmation of the importance of Christ as Gospel for our time and for the century ahead.

Benedict XVI may have disappointed some by not presenting a list of “isms” to be condemned, as Cardinal Ratzinger did in his pre-conclave homily. And he probably disappointed others by not saying he would embark on a program of radical change.

But for those hoping to keep alive the energy of the Second Vatican Council and the memory of Pope John Paul II, while moving forward without fear, these Latin words contained much reassurance and hope.

INTO THE SACRED PENITENTIARY?
The computer at Casa Santa Maria, where I have been staying, is a delicate organism. It keeps refusing to function. Fortunately, Fr. Hy Nguyen SS, originally from the Diocese of Oakland, is a computer whiz and knows magic formulas to revive the thing. Unfortunately Fr. Hy was away for a few days when the computer threw its latest tantrum.

After writing an entire message to The Catholic Voice, I watched it vanish, as the computer balked. I returned to my room and tried to reconstitute the message with the old-fashioned word-processor known as a pen.
Then I went to the Vatican Press Office, right off St. Peter's Square, and found a computer which spoke Italian. I was able to get it to take my message.

Just as I was finishing, an attendant informed me that I had not gone
through the proper procedure for using the computer. I thought my press badge was enough, but more was required. However, the attendant let me finish, and the message was sent.

For a while I thought I might wind up in the Vatican jail. While there, I might have had a compassionate visit from the new Pope, and maybe I could have had an exclusive interview. As it was, all ended peaceably, and I shall have to content myself with trying to get into the press audience tomorrow at the Paul VI Hall, with the thousands of media people who have converged on Rome.

PRESS AUDIENCE
When I got my press badge, I said it might get me in to meet Andrew Greeley (whom I met as I was getting it.) Actually it got me in to see someone more important. It admitted me to the short audience Pope Benedict XVI gave for the press and a couple thousand other media people today. Most of the event was in the waiting.

The Pope entered and acknowledged the applause, then got right down to business. First, there was a brief introduction and expression of gratitude to the media people by Archbishop John Foley, who mentioned that over a billion people were able to witness the funeral of
Pope John Paul II via radio and television.

The Pope spoke gratefully to the media people who had been covering events of the past weeks, often at inconvenience to themselves and their families. He spoke in Italian, English, French, and what he called “mia lingua Materna”-- German. An immense service had been done for the Holy See and the Church at large.

He referred to the last Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, whose abilities as a media person he praised. That letter speaks of the
media revolution of our times, and the tremendous potential for good it
contains.

There must have been a lot of young “journalists” in the crowd, because
cheers of “Benedetto, Benedetto” rang out continuously.

To conclude, Benedict XVI led the assembly in reciting the Our Father, then gave the Apostolic Blessing. It was over in 15 minutes.
Then I took myself to the Vatican Press Office (Santa Maria computer had revolted again and refused to send my message last night). And I went through the proper procedure to be able to send this report.

Tuesday, April 26
To the tomb of the Apostle Paul

On the day after the formal inauguration of his ministry as Bishop of Rome (April 25) at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI went to the tomb of the other pillar of the Roman Church, St. Paul.

The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls is considered by many
to be the most beautiful church in Rome, even though it is not as large as St. Peter’s. It has managed to keep its outdoor atrium, which most of the old churches lost through the centuries. (We call this a “gathering space” today.)

Inside one gets the impression of being in a forest of columns.
The muted light coming through alabaster windows lends an aura of peacefulness.

Today’s ceremony was simple. After an opening hymn, the Pope himself acted as lector, and read the opening verses of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

In his short homily, the Pope spoke of his ministry to the people of Rome and emphasized the missionary vocation of St. Paul. He prayed that he might have the same love which impelled St. Paul to live a life in union with Christ.

It was in St. Paul’s Basilica that Pope John XXIII startled the
world shortly after his election by calling the Second Vatican Council.
There were no such spectacular revelations today, simply the words of a
shepherd speaking to his flock with instruction and affection.

Following the example of his predecessor, the Pope kissed the babies that were held out to him, and greeted and blessed the sick and infirm in wheelchairs as he passed.

I was not present for this event, but watched it on the Vatican television station, following the program included in yesterday’s celebration booklet. In this way I was able to get a good view of everything that took place. If I had been there, I might have been behind one of the forest of pillars.

THE MAJOR BASILICAS OF ROME
I have visited three of the four major basilicas of Rome so far. St.
Peter’s is one. I hope to visit St. Paul’s before I leave. The cathedral of Rome, St. John Lateran, with its ancient baptistery, is a third. Pope Benedict XVI will come to this basilica in due time.

The church of St. Mary Major is the fourth. This church is distinguished by its beautiful and ancient mosaics, somewhat overshadowed by baroque additions. It also claims to have a relic of the crib of Bethlehem.

Outside the basilica stands one of the many obelisks imported by the Romans from Egypt in imperial times. This obelisk was one of two which stood beside the tomb of Caesar Augustus. On the obelisk is an inscription stating that the obelisk used to be unhappy standing beside the tomb of the pagan emperor, but now is happy standing
near the crib of Christ.

A TALE OF TWO STATUES
The Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls is less known than the four above. It is not as lavishly decorated and preserves more of its original nature. It is very obviously an assemblage of recycled pagan temples.
Pillars and cross-beams were removed from nearby pagan buildings and put to Christian use. This is true of other churches in Rome but is less obvious because of later additions.

Outside the Basilica of St. Lawrence is a statue of Pope Pius XII which commemorates the Pope’s personal assistance to the people of this area during the 1943 Allied bombing of the neighborhood of the railroad station, which used to be nearby. The Pope got into his car, was driven to the area, and ministered to the people. A white cassock covered with blood and grime is still in the Vatican as testimony to this event.

The statue shows the Pope in a familiar gesture with his arms outstretched. The inscription below thanks him for his act of pastoral courage.

This statue is very different from the stern bronze likeness in St. Peter’s Basilica. The two very different statues illustrate two dimensions of this complex man perceived by artists.

I find the one at St. Lawrence a more accurate portrayal of the Pope of my childhood and youth. History will eventually determine which of the two is the right one, or perhaps that both together give the whole picture.
Inside the Basilica is a room lined with mosaics which holds the tomb of Pope Pius IX. Since this Pope’s beatification, his body has been moved out of the tomb and placed, fully vested, with a silver mask, under a new altar, like the body of St. Pius X in St. Peter’s.

THE CASA SANTA MARIA
I cannot close my account without a grateful mention of the Casa Santa
Maria where I have stayed during the past three weeks. This former convent, with its elaborate baroque chapel, is located in the heart of old Rome, walking distance from all the major religious and historic sites. It is really a luxury to be able to walk around the corner to the Trevi Fountain, or across the way to the Pantheon, or down the street to the Roman Forum and Colosseum.

During the papacy of Pope Pius IX, the convent became the location of the North American College, where men from the United States studied for the priesthood. That college moved to larger quarters closer to St. Peter’s in the 1950’s. The Casa then became a dwelling-place for priests doing graduate study in Rome.

Presently two priests from the Oakland Diocese – Father Sergio Lopez and Sulpician Father Hy Nguyen are residents here. They were my guardian angels during my stay.

It was good to be with priests from all over the United States (and some from other places) during these three weeks, to share liturgical prayer and meals with them, and to enjoy their hospitality. Most of them are younger than I am. It was good to see the quality of younger priests who are following us old timers.

As might be expected from a house that has always prided itself in its nearness to the Holy Father, the priests here welcomed the news of the election of Pope Benedict XVI. Most of priests in the house were at the funeral of John Paul II and the installation of the new Pope.

They consider themselves blessed, as I do, to have been in Rome at
this important time in the history of the Church.

Wednesday, April 27
First Public Audience

Pope Benedict XVI gave his first public audience today. I was there with the throng which gathered in St. Peter's Square. I got there early and was able to get a standing place close to the place where the Pope would pass in the Popemobile as he entered.

The open car moved slowly through the pathway prepared for it, with the Pope standing and blessing the people as he went.

A papal audience is an endurance test, today lasting an hour and a half. After an introductory prayer, the Pope gives a talk. Then he gives it again in summary fashion in several languages. Today it was given first in Italian, then French, English, German, and Spanish. The Pope also said a few words in Polish. Fortunately the talk was brief.

He spoke about his name. Benedict XV was a Pope who worked for peace. St. Benedict influenced European civilization and taught his monks to make Christ the center of their lives.

Pope Benedict asked for our prayers, that he might imitate the virtues of St. Benedict.

Each language group was introduced, to much cheering, flag-waving, and even some song-singing. The Vietnamese group was on the platform and gave an enthusiastic applause and a song. A large group from Nursia, the birthplace of St. Benedict, was present. Many children and youth were in the crowd, joining in chants of “Benedetto.”

After leading us in the singing of the Lord’s Prayer, the Pope gave his blessing. Then the cardinals and bishops present came forward individually to pay their respects and have a few words with him. This took some time and was shown on the giant TV screen.

Finally, the Pope got back in the Popemobile and left by a shorter route.

IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL AT LAST
My original intention in planning to come to Rome was to see the
newly-cleaned painting of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. I had no idea the chapel would be closed for special use. Fortunately, the cardinals got their work done in time for me to get in to see Michelangelo’s great masterpiece – and the other masterpieces which line the lower part of the walls.

This visit was more than an artistic experience. It was a way for me to put into perspective all that had gone on in the previous two weeks.

Before this painting Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI were elected. With this sober painting hovering above them, the cardinals marked and submitted their ballots. What went on within the walls of the Sistine Chapel was serious business.

Pope John Paul II has now gone to meet his Judge, to render an account of his 26 years of faithful and arduous service. He died in the Lord and was buried with solemnity and affection. Pope Benedict XVI will surely follow him, along with all the cardinals who prayed, and discerned, and chose.

What these men have done and will do affects the whole Church and the world. They bear an enormous responsibility.

Pope Benedict XVI has spoken of the enormity of the task. He asks our prayers, that his work to make Christ’s kingdom come may be fruitful.

In a sense, we all have to stand before Michelangelo’s ‘Last Judgment’ and accept our own responsibility – to assist the Pope with his task, but also to take our own Christian vocation seriously. The Pope does not have to do everything, nor can he.

All the People of God have an important part to play. It is a matter of life and death, for this world and for eternity. In the end, we all have to take our place – not before a painting, but before the Judge Himself.

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