conclave | chestercountyramblings

Habemus Papam. He is an American, was an Augustinian and a graduate of Villanova University. Leo XIV.

I honestly never thought in my lifetime that you would have a Pope from the United States.

He’s 69 years old and actually the sister of someone I know was in his class at Villanova.

I am not a big fan of members of the Augustinian order, but I liked what he had to say when he appeared after he was elected Pope by the Cardinals in conclave.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/cardinal-elected-pope-papal-name.html

Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Prevost now Leo XIV dedicated his early clerical career to the Order of Saint Augustine. The media has reported that he was the least American of the American Cardinals. It has also been reported that he was a long shot.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/08/world/pope-leo-xiv-robert-prevost-wwk-intl-latam

The new Pope has a missionary focus, which I like, and I think is needed in this time.

Gifted New York Times Article

I hope Pope Leo XIV continues a lot of what Pope Francis did.

I also heard an interesting fact the other day that 82% of American Catholics do not go to church. I hope he also as Pope continues to clean up the American Church. And among other things, I hope he gets someone to put the anxious former head of the church in Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput out to pasture for good.

His one brother John was interviewed by ABC News. He seems amiable but unsure as what to say exactly but you know what? The lives of everyone in Pope Leo XIV’s family is also going to change. Will that mean they get things like Secret Service keeping an eye on them or do they just live normal lives? We’ve never had an American Pope, so you have to wonder how does becoming Pope affect the families of the Popes? Especially in a modern world.

His other brother Lou, however, is a cat of a different kind. Sadly.

I’m guessing that is why I have already seen some unpleasant memes from the highly politicized about the new Pope which I think is really sad.

This is kind of a historic moment and I hope he’s a good Pope. I don’t think he’s going to make me more of a devout Catholic per se, but as a catholic, I will be paying attention because he’s the first American Pope.

I hope his tenure is safe for him and his family in the US, and I wonder will he come to the US semiquincentennial next year?

And that is my final thought. Next year this country turns 250 and we have an American Pope for the very first time.

You know when you think of “men of God” you don’t think of them using cell phones. But apparently, they do. I was watching the funeral coverage of Pope Francis both today and yesterday and I kept catching Cardinals on their cell phones.

Now I understand taking a photo of his tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore. (Santa Maria Maggiore is quite beautiful, by the way.) I was there when I was a teenager. I still have photos somewhere. But cell phones during these Masses? Good gracious, they are as bad as teenagers.

I am not a big fan of Rome, and prefer other Italian cities like Florence and Sienna, but the majesty of Vatican City is truly remarkable and beautiful.

I watched the Vatican streaming of the funeral yesterday and the other mass today. I didn’t want the sports-like blow by blow narration. The music was lovely and amazing.

From today

The sea of Cardinals was truly fascinating to see, and I am sure the jockeying is well underway in advance of Conclave. Pundits call now an “unofficial Conclave” as the maneuvering for favor starts now. After all, there are few organizations that are as political as the Catholic Church. The actual Conclave will start between May 6 and May 11.

The Cardinals are in Rome/ Vatican for the duration. Right now they are at Santa Marta House in Vatican City. When Conclave begins, they move into the Sistine Chapel. They are locked within the Sistine Chapel until the new Pope is chosen, and there is a vow of secrecy. They will deliberate and vote, cut off from the outside world until a new Pope is chosen. We assume that their cell phones will be locked away somewhere, right? The black smoke that comes out of the Vatican chimney means they haven’t agreed on a successorPope, when the white smoke appears they have.

Until we hear “Habemus Papam!” we do not have a new Pope.

Here’s a great article from NPR on the process:

Who will be the next pope? Here’s how the conclave works

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5304054/conclave-pope-chosen-francis-dies-white-black-smoke

A truly good and great man who was also humble has been laid to rest. Now the world waits for who shall succeed him and what tone they will take. The Catholic Church in my opinion still has a lot of atoning to do for sexual abuse. I do not believe they will choose a Pope from the United States.