Father Dave and Lino Rulli from SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel share the first moments following the election of Pope Leo XIV while broadcasting from Vatican City.
“We have white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel,” Father Dave exclaims, as cheers and bells ring out in Saint Peter’s square. “We just elected a pope in one of the shortest ballots in the last 50 years.”
“The last time this giant bell of Saint Peter’s rang was the death bell for Pope Francis,” Lino adds. “Not so long ago, we were just mourning the loss of a pope. We are now celebrating, unbelievably, on a fourth ballot. …The world has changed. We have a pope!”
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They note that Pope Benedict XVI was also elected on the fourth ballot in 2005, while it took five ballots to elect Pope Francis in 2013. Lino shares that earlier in the week, “Most of the Cardinals said, ‘Expect a long conclave.’ We know that God is a God of surprises, and I’ve got to tell you, this is surprising to me.”
As they wait for the introduction of the new pope, they describe the scene of thousands of people flooding Saint Peter’s Square. Father Dave says, “We are now in a mode of celebration, even before we know who the new pope is, which is a great blessing of the Catholic Church.”
Lino says, “That’s one of the acts of faith that we’re already showing. We’re saying it’s not even about the man. It’s not about agreeing or disagreeing with everything about this new papacy. …It’s love of God and love of the Church. This is how the faith gets passed on from Peter to whoever the next successor of Saint Peter is.”
Father Dave and Lino react as Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announces that Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the next pope, and taken the name Leo XIV. “They said we would never have an American pope,” Lino marvels. “Born in Chicago, he spent most of his time in ministry in Peru, and is a veteran in the Vatican. The crowd is now stunned, [even more than] when the crowd was stunned in 2013 when they elected Cardinal Bergoglio.”
As Pope Leo XIV emerges onto the papal balcony, Father Dave narrates, “The new pope is waving at the crowd, and they are waving back. He’s taking a moment to soak it all in before he begins speaking. He does look very happy. …He looks comfortable being the pope already.”
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Lino and Father Dave translate Pope Leo XIV’s first papal address and blessing spoken in Italian, and they reflect on his prepared remarks. Father Dave says, “He talked a lot about peace. We’re in a world right now that is torn by war, and even if you don’t understand the language, to hear ‘pace, pace, pace’ again and again seems to be setting a tone that the Catholic Church needs to be first and foremost about peace.”
“He quoted Pope Francis. He quoted Jesus Christ. He quoted Saint John Paul II,” Lino adds. “He took the name Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo XIII was particularly known for his intellect and the articulation of the faith. He was known as the pope of the workers.”
“Already in his speech, I get it now. It’s always funny how God makes sense in the rear view mirror,” Lino continues. “When he’s quoting Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, you’re taking a piece of their legacies. You’re taking the name Leo XIV, because [Leo XIII] played a part in the church in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the world was changing.”
“You couldn’t write it up any better, and yet we weren’t paying enough attention,” Lino says. “What a perfect combination of everything the Church needs at this time and place in history.”
