Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Guest Writers

Wedding bells amid papal peals

byStaff writers
15 May 2005
Reading Time: 4 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

THE first week of April for me was better known as ‘Two weddings and a funeral’ … the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, my own wedding, and the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

While the royal wedding had little impact, the other two were momentous for me.

The late John Paul II was a source of great inspiration for me.

At his invitation I travelled to three World Youth Days, I recently graduated from the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, and his name was on the Papal Blessing for our wedding.

But our married life began with the journey to Rome to cover the election of Pope John Paul II’s successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

As the media officer for Cardinal George Pell, I was inundated with requests from the Australian and international English-speaking media to speak to His Eminence about the papal election.

My husband Bernie and I arrived in Rome on April 12. There was a great buzz in the city. While the huge crowds gathered for the funeral had largely dispersed, there were still many people in and around St Peter’s Basilica.

That first night we attended one of the nine mourning liturgies for Pope John Paul II. St Peter’s Basilica was quite full, with most of the congregation participants rather than tourists — the usual tours were not happening at this time.

That night after the Mass, all the gathered cardinals went to visit the tomb of the late Pope beneath the basilica.

From 7am the next day it was open to the media, then the public. Bernie was among the first to view the tomb.

Related Stories

All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

As the week progressed the talk turned to who would succeed Pope John Paul II.

On the morning of April 18, Cardinal Ratzinger celebrated Mass before the cardinal-electors entered the conclave.

We went to St Peter’s hoping to attend the Mass but had underestimated the stringent security and thus the long delay to get in, so we had to be content to watch it on the big screens set up in St Peter’s Square.

Our thoughts and prayers were still with the cardinals but there was a lot of distraction from the gathering crowd.

We went back to St Peter’s Square that night for smoke watch. There was some uncertainty as to whether the cardinals would even vote that day (and therefore maybe no smoke) but we agreed it was better to be safe than sorry.

Expectations were that the smoke would be seen at 7pm, but this time came and went.

Still the crowd gathered. Romans returning from work detoured through St Peter’s Square, just in case.

Tour groups, amazed at their good fortune to be at the Vatican at such an historic time, stopped and waited.

A Scottish man I knew walked past us, a chance meeting but just another sign of extraordinary times.

It took a long time for the smoke to come, appearing at about 8.15pm, with night closing in. There was confusion as the smoke at first appeared white.

Disbelief all around. ‘Surely not so quickly’ was the remark heard. As it continued to pour forth, it became black, and the crowd slowly slipped away.

But we were back the next day for the midday signal. Black again.

We started to walk away, but confusion once more — the bells began pealing for the Angelus. We turned back to the square, but still black smoke and still no pope.

That afternoon, April 19, I was sitting in a cafe in a street off St Peter’s Square. Through the chatter of the patrons, the radio announcers broke through with news. We paid the bill and looked outside. People were literally running to the square.

We joined them. Something was happening. And the bells were pealing. It was around 6pm. Not that the time is so important, it’s just that it caught us by surprise.

High above the gates of St Peter’s the doors opened, and the long awaited words ‘Habemus Papem’ were declared. Cheers all around and the gathering crowd erupted.

More and more people were running to the square, filling in the gaps between groups and individuals.

We had a new Pope! The sense of loss turned to joy as the Catholic family was once again complete.

When it was announced that the new Pope was ‘Cardinal (long pause for effect) Joseph’ everyone in the crowd knew there was only one Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

All the cardinals came out onto the balcony and waved to the crowd. The biggest cheer, though, was for Pope Benedict XVI who addressed the gathered crowds (plus the millions through the media) in Italian, French, German and English.

‘Be-ne-dic-to’ was the chant that could be heard, faintly at first but growing louder to reach the new pontiff high on the balcony.

We stayed in the square for many hours that night.

The myriad camera crews, radio journalists and photographers looked for people who could speak about the news in their particular language. The German young people ran around draped in their flag, while the Spanish celebrated with singing and dancing.

At the end of that week we were privileged to attend the installation Mass of Pope Benedict XVI.

I missed not seeing John Paul II presiding but was delighted to see the new Pope, and one who could walk up to the altar.

After Mass, Pope Benedict hopped in the Popemobile and travelled through the crowds.

Memories flooded back to me of World Youth Days, yet the crowd were older and better dressed — but still they ran to get close to the Holy Father.

My husband Bernie and I saw and experienced this new beginning for the Church at the same time as we were celebrating the new beginning in our lives — and gladly shared it with 500,000 of our Christian family! It was a momentous occasion and a great privilege to have been part of.


Marita Winters is the director of Catholic Communications in Sydney archdiocese.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

THREE DOLLARS

Next Post

Medieval time warp

Staff writers

Related Posts

Vatican

All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

27 May 2022
Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria
World

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

27 May 2022
Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia
Australia

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

26 May 2022
Next Post

Medieval time warp

JP II sainthood boost

Blame deflected

Popular News

  • Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

    Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Vatican

All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

by Staff writers
27 May 2022
0

By Catholic News Agency THE Vatican is inviting Catholics to join Pope Francis in praying the rosary...

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

27 May 2022
Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

26 May 2022
Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

26 May 2022
Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

26 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping