White Smoke

"There's white smoke!" I texted Brett.  It was an hour before school would be out, but I knew he'd check as soon as his last block ended.  When I heard his voice on the other end I excitedly filled him in on the news.  He screamed with delight, much as the young priest working with the CBS news team did, as he exclaimed, "Cardinal Bergoglio is our new Pope.  How wonderful for our church!"

Since Pope Benedict  announced his retirement, Brett has been following the Papal watch.  He quizzed the leaders of our own parish on their predictions of the next Pope.  He even joined a youth prayer group praying for the Cardinals as they entered the conclave.  The suspense had been eating at him so I know he was releived when the announcement came.

I have to admit that I didn't realize how excited I was until the bell rang.  I was glued to the television awaiting the announcement.  After spending the day in class talking about the crazy hair of the 1980s I couldn't help but watch in awe the ceremonial tradition before me that had stood the test of time.  Citizens of Rome parked their cars in the street and ran when they heard the news to join the thousands of people already standing in the rain.  Now I understood why.  It was exhilarating, a time of renewal and a feeling of hope.

There will be time for debate about the path the Catholic Curch will take.  Maybe it will be a time of change with a Jesuit leader from Argentina dedicated to serving the poor.  Either way I was reminded yesterday of why I love the Catholic Church - tradition.