Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam: Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum Josephum, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Ratzinger, qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedicti XVI. (I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope! The most eminent and most reverend Lord Joseph, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Ratzinger, who has taken the name Benedict XVI.)
It was a great joy to be a Catholic that day, a day of blessing from our Father in heaven, the day of the announcement of our new father on earth.
I went down to St. Peter’s Square at about 5:30 P.M. and joined my brother seminarians from the Pontifical North American College. A few of the guys had guitars and drums, and we began to sing praise-and-worship songs. During our time of prayer, many others in the square came over and joined us. It was an awesome experience to praise the Lord in song with so many fellow Catholics, all of us imploring him to send us another holy pope.
At about 6:00, as we were ending a song, smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. At first it was black and we were disappointed. But then we realized that the ballots were being burned earlier than expected: They must have reached a consensus. At about the same time, the smoke turned white. Little by little the anticipation increased as white smoke came pouring out. We began cheering and waited for the conclusive sign: the ringing of the bells.
After about five minutes (at least it seemed that long), the crowd erupted into a huge roar as the bells began to move. The explosion of emotion was like what you experience when the center sinks a three-pointer in overtime. Needless to say, the anticipation heightened.
Fan Club
We waited twenty-five more minutes, singing praise to God for the new Pope and talking about who it might be. Of course, everyone now says they knew all along it would be Cardinal Ratzinger. I admit that I was surprised, but I’ve never been happier to be wrong.
When the gentiluomini came out onto the center balcony of the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica to close the curtains, the crowd roared in delightful anticipation. Onto the balcony emerged Jorge Cardinal Medina Estevez, the cardinal proto-deacon. He greeted his “dear brothers and sisters” in five languages, and then he declared the solemn announcement of the new bishop of Rome.
When he said Dominum Josephum, we began to jump around like we were sitting in the fan club section at a college basketball game. And when the name Ratzinger was pronounced, there was pandemonium the likes of which I had never seen.
We waited with now-relieved anticipation for the procession of the new Pope Benedict XVI onto the balcony to greet the crowd. The Church had gotten her man, and we were ready to give him a pope’s welcome. And then he came.
Right to the Point
For most of us, it was the first time we had seen anyone besides John Paul II in the pope’s white zucchetto. Yet here in that garb was the familiar German face of Joseph Ratzinger, a humble servant of the Lord, as he rightly called himself in his address. As he did many times as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Pope Benedict got right to the point: “Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II . . .”—and here the crowd roared in approval of this noble salutation for our dear departed Pope.
He continued, “The lord cardinals have elected me, a simple and humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord. I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and act also with insufficient instruments, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In the joy of the risen Lord, trusting in his permanent help, let us go forward. The Lord will help us, and Mary his most holy Mother will be on our side. Thank you.”
There was a serene humility about him. I imagine that he will waste no time in beginning his Petrine ministry. His choice of St. Benedict’s name no doubt indicates something of the direction of his pontificate. The choice of the name of the patron saint of Europe is certainly appropriate during this time of the secularization and de-Christianization of European society. Additionally, St. Benedict’s great promotion of and love for the dignified celebration of the sacred liturgy will not go unheeded by our new Holy Father.
After his brief address, our new Pope intoned the Urbi et Orbi blessing. As we knelt before him and made the sign of the cross, many were moved to tears. The joyous celebration of this gift from God to his Church gives us the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the richness of our Catholic faith. What an even more precious gift is that faith!
Pope Benedict XVI ate supper that night with the cardinals, and, rather than moving into the papal apartments right away, he spent the night with them in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. He celebrated his first papal Mass with the cardinals the next morning in the Sistine Chapel. Early in his message that day, he spoke of the youth and his desire to go to World Youth Day.
Let us pray for him as he begins his time as the 264th successor of Peter. May the Blessed Virgin Mary and her faithful son Pope John Paul II intercede for him before the throne of God, that he may take up this cross and follow the Lord in complete fidelity and with peace and joy.