It is 6:08 p.m. when the smoke rises white from the sixtine chapel chimney – but we are not on Saint -Pierre square. Instead, we are a few kilometers away, through the Tiber.
The bells of a parish in the southern district of Rome de Garbatella begin to ring, and a couple walking their dogs notices the unusual sound. One of them looks at their mobile phone and says out loud: “What, is there a new pope?” The others nod. “And who is he?”
There is no answer yet. Instead, the only place to be is Saint-Pierre square, where the 267th Pope will soon appear on the Basilica loggia.
In a few minutes, the streets of Rome become congestioned and the lungotevere becomes an endless river of cars. People on the sidewalks look comfortably at their mobile phone as a group of charity missionary sisters crosses the road to Ponte Fabricio.
At 6.30 pm, reaching the Vatican seems to be a feat, and there is still no word of the exact time when the new pontiff will be announced with the traditional declaration “Habemus papam”. Fifty minutes after white smoke, the faithful crowd always supports through metal detectors to enter the square.
We are also inside under a clear sky, with 150,000 people who arrived in St Peter's in less than an hour. The atmosphere is joyful but also heavy of waiting; Those who have done it look for the best places they can get. Behind the Bernini fountain, a group of nuns carrying blue dresses spreads in the festive song.
Mobile phones are all ready, but no one can connect to the Internet.
“Live us in the moment, then?” Asks Tania, who also arrived as soon as the news of white smoke broke out. Next to her are Chiara and a friend, taking loggia test photos to see if they can capture such an important moment.
In the meantime, Tania still hopes that Cardinal Zappi will appear on the balcony, or failing that, Cardinal Pizzaballa.
The water from the fountain stifles the chattering crowd, singing, sighing until everyone is waiting for: the loggia curtain opens, and the proto-diacre, the cardinal Dominique Mamberti, recites the traditional Latin announcement. And then, finally, the new pope is revealed.
He is the North American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, and he chose the name of Leo XIV.
From our position, his name cannot be heard clearly despite the speakers. A young priest manages to recover “Robert”, but no one expects the new pontiff to be Prévost, the first pope in history from the United States.
Hamebus Pope
The story is on Saint-Pierre square, and those that feel it: the phone signal is still dead, nobody can connect to confirm who is the new pope, and for a moment, among some of the faithful, there is a wave of concern.
The minutes between the announcement of the proto-diacre and the arrival of the new pope seem almost endless. “Leo XIV? Wow,” said someone. The news is starting to bounce from one person to another, but without the help of the Internet, no one is sure.
Then, the loggia curtains open again, and Cardinal Prévost welcomes the crowd in Italian.
ADVERTISEMENT“Peace be with you!” he said. “The dear brothers and sisters, it was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the herd of God. Me too, I would like this greeting of peace to enter your heart, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all peoples, and all the earth: Peace with you.”
These are the first words of Leo XIV, but the audio is not yet fully, and it is difficult to understand what he says.
Everyone is incredulous – but also smiling. Prayer dedicated to world peace, applause and even to the “Pope, Pope” choir fades while MARIE MARA is recited. The speakers are no longer necessary: the square of St Peter becomes a living prayer, while the sun sets and half a moon takes its place.
The Spanish and South American flags motioned for the applause that praised Pope XIV's first speech. “I also have a word, welcoming all those of my dear diocese of Chiclayo, Peru,” said the Pope in Spanish, greeting “all the people of my beloved diocese in Chiclayo, Peru.”
ADVERTISEMENT“It is the strength of the church,” smiles a young African priest, “that he takes you by surprise like that.”
The square empties slowly; The party is still there and no one wants to leave. Near the colonnade is also Don Giulio, a priest of a parish in the district of Rome Tor Bella Monaca, with friends and faithful gathered around him. He tells how, as soon as he saw white smoke get up, he jumped on his scooter to go to the Vatican as quickly as possible.
Intense traffic has not dissuaded anyone today. “The Lord wanted us all here,” said Giulio, smiling at the many young people still present.
“Something like that would probably only happen if Italy won the World Cup,” he concluded. “Indeed, it would be even greater”.
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