White smoke!

Yesterday, the smoke turned from black to white.  We have a new Pope!  I’d turned on the Catholic radio station on my drive home from running errands.  It was late evening in Rome and they were reporting from their spot right above St. Peter’s Square.  Sistine Chapel chimney-a-watchin.  They anticipated smoke at any moment.  They were speculating – would it be black again (for the fifth time)?!  Could it possibly be white?! Who might the new Pope be?!  It’s actually pretty entertaining to listen to people try to kill time when you know everyone is dying of anticipation and just wants to hear the news!

 

When I arrived home, I quickly ran into the house and turned on the station so I could continue listening.  I hadn’t listened to any of the other coverage live, but for whatever reason, I just could NOT miss this.  Hmmmm...as if I knew something extra exciting was abouts to go down.

 

As the commentators were talking you could hear a dull roar building in the crowd below them.  I ran over to the TV and turned it on so I could not only hear what was happening but watch as well.  I set the manual record up so I could show the coverage to the boys when they got home from school. 

 

Pope Francis.  First Francis, first Jesuit, first South American.  Humble guy.  I’m pretty pumped about him!

 

I couldn’t wait to tell the boys when they got off the bus.  Matthew told me, “I know!  Mrs. K. told us after lunch.”  Mrs. K is awesome and, oh, also happens to be Catholic.  So, despite teaching in a public school she thought it news-worthy (which it obviously was as it was all over ALL the news) and announced the news to her class.  Matthew said, “I was so excited that they elected a new Pope, I jumped up from my seat super quick and knocked my water bottle off my desk by accident!”

 

That is SO awesome. I’m totally proud that my kid is the Nerdy Catholic! Mrs. K. sent me an email saying that she was so amused by his thrilled reaction. 

 

Later in the afternoon, I had the boys watch what I’d recorded.  Turns out, Matthew thinks the fact that the Pope has his own guards is definitely a draw for that as a potential career path.  Who knows? Maybe my own kiddo will someday be Pope Matthew the somethingth!