It’s 5 PM. Crowds are filling up St. Peter’s Square. Not a hint of a smile, but all eyes are fixed on the huge outdoor screens that have been installed on the square. Is the Pope dead ? No ! But he has stepped down as pope. He is leaving the Vatican because in three hours his renunciation of the Petrine ministry will take effect.

On the screen one can see Benedict XVI leaving and greeting those who have gathered in the Vatican courtyard. He is brought to a car with tinted windows. Three cars accompany him to a waiting helicopter. Smiling, but visibly worn out, he boards the helicopter. It is the end of his papacy at the Vatican.

The chopper takes off, rises above the Vatican, hovers over St. Peter’s Square for one last greeting, and then heads off to the south. The entire trip is broadcast live until he lands at Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope has chosen to stay until his quarters are renovated at the monastery where he will live on the Vatican grounds. Upon arriving at Castel Gandolfo, he gives a last speech not longer than a couple of minutes. He tells the crowd that has waited for his final blessing, «This day is different. At 8 PM I will no longer be pope. From then on, I will become a pilgrim who undertakes his last pilgrimage on this earth. »

It is 8 P.M. The crowd is still in front of the palace at Castel Gandolfo; others follow on television this unprecedented event in the history of the modern Church. We will never again see this pope and it ends with a small ceremony bringing the eight years of Benedict’s pontificate to an end. At 8 P.M. the Swiss guard hand over control to the Italian national police. The door is closed. And the whole world understands that the See of Peter is now vacant.

All the channels broadcast the news. Now all eyes shift to the conclave that will elect the new pope. Cardianl arrive from the four corners of the world. They begin the preparatory meetings for the conclave.

During this whole time, everyone is making predictions about the various papabili, bets on who might succeed the pope emeritus. Opinions are split: for some, it would be a non-European; for others, it would once again be an Italian. The media rushed to present its favorites. In the end, a list of ten favorites fills the lines of newspapers and the airwaves, as if the media had already decided the eventual winner. Several Europeans, several Americans, several Africans, and even several Asians were ranked among the top contenders, depending on one’s « political » persuasion or on journalistic analyses.

The question arose: When would the conclave begin? Finally, after the tenth meeting of the general congregation (the name given to the meetings of the college of cardinals), it was set for March 12 and would be preceded by a Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica.

It is 8 A.M. Several members of the Due Pini community head down to the Vatican to attend this pre-conclave Mass. Around the altar, everything is red…..the rows of chairs prepared for the concelebrating cardinals, who slowly file into the basilica and make their way to the ad hoc sacristy set up for the occasion. A throng of photographers, both professional and amateur, position themselves to take shots of these prelates, especially those considered most likely to become the next Vicar of Christ.

The Mass is solemnly presided by the camarlengo, the dean of the cardinals, who in his homily makes reference to the pope emeritus, Benedict, and elicits sustained applause. The cardinal describes the pontificate of Benedict as one that was «luminous». He then calls upon the assistance of the Holy Spirit for the conclave set to begin that afternoon.

It is now 3:45 P.M. All the cardinal electors have gathered in the Pauline Chapel to pray. At 4 P.M. the litany of the saints is intoned and the procession begins to the Sistine Chapel. Once completed, the cardinal take a solemn oath of secrecy for the conclave. Then, once the words, «Extra omnes!», are proclaimed, all non-electors depart and the doors are locked.

On St. Peter’s Square, the crowds await the first sign of smoke. Almost on signal, around 7 P.M., black smoke rises ---- indicating that a first vote has indeed taken place. Whatever slight hope that may have existed that a new pope would be elected must wait. Again, the next day, the crowds return for the second and third ballots. Eyes are fixed once again on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.

Around noon, black smoke rises once more and people’s expectations focus on the afternoon ballots. Already at 6 P.M. the square begins to fill and those gathered have a sense that something may happen. And they are not disappointed. At 7:10 P.M. white smoke emerges from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. The bells at the Vatican begin to peal and the crowds are jubilant. A new pope has been chosen.

As soon as they hear of the news, a few members of the Assumptionist community hurry to St. Peter’s to find out who the new pope is. They notice throngs of people in the streets all streaming toward the Vatican. Within minutes St. Peter’s Square is bursting at the seams. Journalists are everywhere. Every imaginable device to record images is activated (cameras, telephones, Smartphones, etc.).

Still, the secret is not yet out of the bag! The media have programmed us to expect certain names announced and everyone awaits one of these, the one, perhaps, that he most wished to see. From time to time spontaneous rounds of applause echo in the square. Finally lights begin to appear inside the chambers near St. Peter’s balcony, to which all eyes and all cameras turn. Yet the wait persists. Then, at last, some attendants appear at the window, followed by a cardinal……Cardinal Tauran, assigned the honor of divulging the secret. In Latin, he begins to announce: «Habemus papam», to which the crowds respond loudly. Everyone strains his ears to hear the name. Lo and behold, the name is unfamiliar, not one that they are expecting! It seems that few on the square know him. The applause dies down. People want to know who he is and where he is from.

In the meantime, a cross appears and following it a man dressed in white….the one who bears the name announced. From now on he is to be known as Pope Francis. He looks down at the crowd and the crowd looks up at him, trying to find out who he is. During his remarks, he speaks as if he were an old friend, «Dear brothers and sisters, good evening!». He begins to recite prayers so well known to Catholics: an Our Father, a Hail Mary, a Glory be. Then, to the surprise of all, he bows before those gathered and asks for their blessing. In the wake of all these gestures, the crowd remains astounded and slowly takes up applauding again, louder and louder.

In these first words and gestures, there is seen a man who wished to make himself close, who wishes to bridge the distance between the hierarchy and the simple faithful. But this is not all. The mike has been taken away but Pope Francis wants to improvise a few more words. He knows it’s important to wish a good night to all those who have come to welcome him and he tells a word about his schedule the following day, namely, that he will go to pray at a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Eternal City.

Fr. Jean-Guillaume, A.A.