Great Joy in Rome
By Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Seminarian Michael J. Tupta,
Pontifical North American College (NAC), Rome“Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum… Habemus papam!” (Translation: “I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope!”)
Have you ever experienced a moment in your life in which you most certainly knew that something particular was about to occur and yet you are still unable to believe it?
In the last few weeks here in Rome, I have been blessed to participate in some events that, on average, occur only every ten to sometimes twenty-plus years. Shortly after Pope Francis’ death on Easter Monday, I visited and prayed next to Pope Francis’ mortal remains in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A few days later, I gathered with over 200,000 people, including almost every world leader, in St. Peter’s Square to attend his funeral Mass. This moment of liturgical prayer for his soul, thanking the Lord for the gift of his life and taking him to his final place of rest was a significant example of unification in our church and the entire world. Pope Francis desired to be buried at his favorite church, the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, making him the seventh pope to be buried there. Following this, nine days of mourning are prescribed after the death of the pope. This step is crucially important to how the Church transitions from one successor of Peter to the selection of the next one by allowing time for the cardinal-electors to gather for prayer, fraternity and to discern how Jesus desires to guide his beloved Church as well as all of humanity through the leadership of the Bishop of Rome.
On the morning that the conclave began, I attended the “Santa Messa pro eligendo Romano Pontifice”, Holy Mass for the election of the Roman Pontiff, inside St. Peter’s Basilica. In this Holy Mass, the cardinals, pray the Holy Mass together one last time in public. Watching the cardinal-electors process up the center aisle was a beautiful opportunity to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide their discernment of who will be chosen to be the next Bishop of Rome and 267th successor of St. Peter. While the cardinals can technically select a man from outside of the group of cardinal-electors, it has not happened in 647 years. Therefore, I was fairly confident that the future Holy Father was in the group processing within arm-length of me. A short while later, the cardinal-electors solemnly processed into the Sistine chapel, swore a vow of secrecy, and were locked in with a key. This is where the name “conclave” comes from, meaning “with a key”.
I was in St. Peter’s Square for about ten hours in total over the next two days. I had time to pray the Psalms, pray the Holy Rosary, and have great conversations with my seminarian brothers and people from many other countries while we waited for the chimney smoke indicating if a new pope had been chosen or not yet. This was a privileged opportunity for tens of thousands to gather to pray for the cardinal-electors inside the Sistine chapel and unite at the church built over the tomb of St. Peter, to whom Jesus gave the keys to His Church here on earth (Matthew 16:18).
Shortly after six o’clock in the evening after the fourth round of voting, white smoke began to pour out of the Sistine chapel chimney. We were all so excited and emotional that we once again had a spiritual father, in concomitance with the Holy Spirit. Over the next hour, the piazza and surrounding streets became even more packed with incredible crowds to hear the announcement as to who is the new Roman Pontiff to guide the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church” (Council of Nicea, 325 A.D.). This specific moment of the announcement is what I was unable to believe was actually happening. Hearing that Cardinal Prevost was chosen and knowing that he was born in the United States, my group of seminarian brothers from the Pontifical North American College did not chant “U-S-A”, but rather “Li-o-ne”, which is Leo in Latin. His American citizenship, while interesting, is rather insignificant to his core identity. Above everything, he is a son of the Lord Jesus by adoption through his baptism and a faithful servant of the Church. In the end, none of us are meant for this world. Rather, Jesus Christ is inviting us to a personal, life-giving relationship with Himself both in this life and ultimately in the life to come in heaven where Jesus will “wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more” (Revelation 21:4). Shortly thereafter, Pope Leo XIV came out on the loggia looking over St. Peter’s Square. Hearing his first address to the people of God and receiving his Urbi et Orbi blessing was a grace that I believe will remain with me in my continued seminary formation and priesthood in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!*Tupta is a member of the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Charleston. He finishes his first year of theology this month at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. His summer assignment for the diocese will be to co-direct Camp Carlo Acutis Youth Camp, the Catholic youth adventure camp in Huttonsville, WV.
(NAC Photos: Chris Tillotson) and seminarian selfies.
