Habemus Papam

I have yet to get tired of those words, I have said it, texted it, tweeted it, blogged it. I was smoke watching live at work on my phone yesterday. I was messaging back and forth with a friend about the seagull and I messaged that he had flown away and she said maybe that's a sign of white smoke and not 20 minutes later there was white smoke.

I was watching it and I still didn't believe it, I just started shaking and praying, very good thing God knows my heart because I really don't think my prayers were very coherent at first. I was giving a co-worker updates, we looked at the smoke together and then we waited for Our Pope to appear on the balcony. I sent out a couple texts and tried to get back to work, I wasn't very productive yet I wasn't in a hurry to leave work because I cannot drive and watch and I wouldn't get home on time. I was on twitter getting and sharing thoughts as well as messaging with some friends who were all watching it live. My popealarm went off somewhere in all of that but I was already watching live and didn't need it or pay any attention to it.

I watched the Swiss Guard and Italian police et al do their thing, I watched the crowd grow bigger and the crowd was pretty big to begin with. Finally the announcement Pope Francis, an Argentinian Cardinal. I found the time between announcing who it was to The Holy Father coming onto the balcony incredibly long. I had time to google him, tweet, message and update my co-worker. Then he was there a humble, prayerful man. He prayed for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, he asked for our blessing, he blessed us. There I was making the Sign of The Cross in the middle of the office joyfully happy.

He is the third Pope of my lifetime and this is the second Conclave of my lifetime. Viva Il Papa.

"And now let us begin this journey, the Bishop and the people, this journey of the Church of Rome which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood. My hope is that this journey of the Church that we begin today, together with the help of my Cardinal Vicar, may be fruitful for the evangelization of this beautiful city." Pope Francis

I practically killed my phone battery and I used quite a bit of my 4G data but it was beyond worth it


Prayer for Pope Francis

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Your faithful people, mercifully look upon Your servant Pope Francis I, whom You have chosen as the chief shepherd over Your Church. Help him to lead and inspire the People of God, both by word and example, that together we may establish Your reign of justice, mercy and love here on earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.