UPDATED - Fr. Boeglin's Blog From Rome

Blog From Rome - March 13

Father Boeglin stands in front of one of the many media booths in front of the piazza of St. Peters a few hours before the announcement came of a new pope.

Dear everyone, on this day, March 13, my tour group was originally scheduled to have a public audience with Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. That all changed on February 11 when he announced that he would resign.

The conclave started on the day of our arrival. Since there was no close favorite candidate, I thought that it might take a third day of voting.

We spent the day visiting the catacombs of Dormittila and St Paul outside the walls in the morning and John Lateran and Mary Major Bascilicas in the afternoon. We had asked all day whether a pope had been elected.

Store-keepers told us that all of Rome would know immediately if white smoke would be seen. Our tour had a special dinner/opera at 7pm.  

At 7:20 pm it was announced that an Argentinian was chosen. At the dinner show all participants began to sing "Viva la Papa," which means long live the Pope. 

We were told that his papal name would be announced in the next 45 minutes. We could not leave our Dinner Show for the Papal presentation from the logia of St Peters.

Two hours after the public presentation, our bus passed St Peters. Most of the piazza was empty.

So now we have a new Pope. Tomorrow my tour group will visit the Vatican Museum and St. Peters the day after the election.

Day three should be an interesting day as we visit the Vatican.  

Submitted by Fr. John Boeglin

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Blog from Rome - Tuesday, March 12

It is now 10 pm March 12, the first day of the conclave. I am leading group of 18 pilgrims from Jasper, Haubstadt, Newburgh and Henderson. 

We had an eventful day. We arrived in the eternal city about 10:30 am. At that time the Cardinals were concelebrating mass in Peters to prepare for the conclave. My group arrived just as people were leaving the Mass at noon.

On our way near St Peters, we met our Diocesan seminarian Keith Dewig from Haubstadt. Dewig is a college senior at Brute seminary in indianapolis. Among all the thousands of tourists in Rome I considered this to be a miracle to meet some one from our Diocese in Rome.                                      

As we arrived in front of St. Peters, American and Italian media interviewed some of my group. I was interviewed by ABC News from Los Angeles.

There were hundreds of media cameras with brights lights focused on St. Peters. I have never witnessed so much activity before in Rome. I felt extremely blessed  to be here in Rome this day.

It has been very rainy day. It even hailed later in the day.

We visited  St. Peters in the afternoon while the Cardinals gathered in Sistine Chapel. We returned to our hotel for a welcoming dinner.  

After our welcome dinner in Rome, the media reported that the first black smoke appeared over the Sistine Chapel at 6:42 pm. That means no New Pope has been chosen. And so we pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit during this historical time in the church.    

Submitted by Fr. John Boeglin