These past two months have been a whirlwind for the Catholic Church. The death of our spiritual father, the uncertainty and anxiety that sede vacante brings, the Conclave, the waiting.
Oh the waiting.
I was driving when I heard the announcement that white smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that the conclave was concluded and the Church had a new Pope.
I turned the radio down while we brought up a video of the livestream as we waited with the world to hear the name and get a first glimpse of the newly elected 267th Bishop of Rome.
But, who would it be?
Like Catholics across the world, I was praying for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to be with our cardinals during the conclave. And like many, I was anxious about the future.
People, of course, had predictions. Some of the most popular candidates considered by many to be papabile included Cardinal Tagle, who challenged people at the National Eucharistic Congress to “not keep [the gift of] Jesus to ourselves,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Sarah, a spiritually alert man, Cardinal Pizzaballa, a man of the Holy Land. The list went on.
On some of those lists? Cardinal Robert Prevost. An American.
In a normal circumstance, the current prefect for the Dicastery for Bishops and the former head of the Augustian order would be at the top of everyone’s list. But… he was born in the United States.
I was one of the Catholics who (only half) jokingly said that I would never see an American Pope in my lifetime. Be it due to politics, Cardinal distributions between countries, or a strong preference for candidates who are from Italy, the possibility of an American Pope seemed slim.
And I wasn’t alone.
Bishop Barron, in an interview with EWTN Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn, said of Prevost’s potential in the papabile field: “it’s very unlikely an American would be elected pope.”
Even Prevost himself told a friend over text, “I’m an American, I can’t be elected.”
But, the Holy Spirit had other plans.
By now, we had pulled over, waiting for a family member to join our little caravan to the local American-Italian Cultural Society for some great food; a monthly tradition.
The livestream was still playing on the phone.
There was an exhilaration in the air that could be felt through the airwaves as the world waited.
And then, came the announcement, in the traditional order, from Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti:
“Annuntio vobis gaudium: HABEMUS PAPAM. Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum Robertum Franciscum Sanctae Romane Ecclesiae Cardinalem Prevost qui sibi nomen imposuit Leo XIV”
I announce to you a great joy: WE HAVE A POPE The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Robert Francis Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Prevost who has taken the name Leo XIV
Via Vatican News YouTube
Chills.
The livestream we were watching left the hosts speechless at the name Prevost. Then, one of them said it: “born in the United States.”
I was speechless.
I did what any normal person would do in this circumstance, and promptly visited his Wikipedia page (what a time to be alive).
Chicago. He was born in Chicago.
And he took the name Leo.
“The election of our new Pope, Pope Leo XIV, is a historic moment and a powerful reminder that the Church is alive,” said Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS, “The world’s attention during the conclave and the growing number of conversions today are clear signs of a renewed hunger for truth and meaning.”
I really liked Martin’s word… “renewed hunger.” That’s exactly what we are witnessing.
Story continues after this module
In an increasingly secular world, the attention that this conclave has drawn was intense. From papabili lists to in-depth analysis about what the Church “is doing” or “should do” or what each Cardinal would bring to the table. There was reporting about traditions and reporting about history.
Since the announcement, there has been an uptick of Google searches about how to become Catholic.
To me, this makes sense.
“I’ve just been sort of dumbfounded,” said Rob Kaczmark, an Emmy Award winning director and founder/CEO of Spirit Juice Studios, a Chicago-based creative production firm, “I’m like, wait, he’s from here? Because you hear – like when Pope Francis became Pope or John Paul II – the home country is such an important part of who they are.”
The joy and pride coming from Kaczmark, who lives and works just minutes from where Pope Leo XIV, then Prevost, grew-up, is infectious.
“I’m a South-sider, Pope Leo is a South-sider… in 26-minutes, we are going to be at where the Pope grew up.”
“As you can see, it’s humble beginnings from where the Pope started from.”
Kaczmark, in a nine-minute short film, takes viewers on a tour of some South Side icons which were experienced by the young Prevost and likely shaped him into the man he is today.
The tour included icons both personal to the family and some that are legendary Chicago: From the Prevost childhood home, to the school where he taught math, the field where he watched the White Sox in a World Series game, even his favorite pizza place.
“We’ve got one more thing the Pope and I have in common,” he says outside Aurelio’s. “Not only our favorite restaurant — we order the same thing. I’ve literally eaten in this same spot.”
“We’ve been here so many times just for family events and this is where I told my parents we were pregnant. Really really fond memories there.”
Kaczmark also brings the viewer to the Prevost family’s parish which is now shuttered. This resonated with me; churches in my home diocese recently went through a consolidation process. The now Pope, understands.
“I’m still in awe of the fact that Pope Leo is from here. He’s one of us,” Kaczmark said. “No matter where you’re from, God can use you. You just have to be open to his call.”
Via Spirit Juice
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your background is if you have a willingness to be open to God, the sky’s the limit,” said Kaczmark.
Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate for many Americans brought home the reality that we are all called to holiness by God.
Yes, he’s also a man of Peru, where he ministered for over 20 years.
But, he’s also a Pope from the South Side.
Here is a man who liked the White Sox, goes to the gym, loves Chicago pizza; a man who grew up under 30 miles from where I used to lived.
These facts, of course, have always been apparent. Popes are human. And yet, for the first time, an American can look at the life of the Pope and see themselves.
Still reeling from the white smoke announcement, we regrouped and headed for lunch at the American Italian center.
Maybe the Pope traveled on these same streets we were currently driving on.
As we walked in, an older Italian women looked at us – “did you hear?! We have a Pope! And he’s from Chicago!”
It’s powerful when we can see ourselves in someone great.
Another elderly woman behind us fired back, with the characteristic wit and vocal eye-roll that only a born and bred Italian can perfect, “gosh – I guess we’ll see how that goes!”
We all laughed.
There was pride beaming from that wit.
As we worked through the line, a man asked a lady next to him if she wanted some meatballs, and I thought about how the Pope must like a good Chicago style Italian-American meatball.
Just a few blocks away, traffic buzzed like nothing had happened. But something had happened.
A man from our streets had been entrusted with the keys to the kingdom. The 267th successor to St. Peter was a man who ate pizza and watched the White Sox.
It’s such a surreal feeling. Not because the Church had changed, but because, in that moment, the call to holiness felt personal.
The truth of that moment will stay with me for the rest of my life: God calls us by name.
We just need to have the courage to say “yes.”
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