When white smoke finally appeared above the Sistine Chapel Thursday evening, seminarian Nathan Ledoux of Newport had a front row seat.
He and several other Rhode Islanders currently studying in Rome to become priests went straight to St. Peter’s Square to see the new pope.
“It was truly, truly an amazing time,” Ledoux said.
They even brought a Rhode Island state flag. Not only were they flying the flag from home, they figured the anchor and the word “hope” were fitting symbols for the occasion.
The pilgrims standing beside them in the crowd asked them to translate the Latin announcement of who the next pope will be.
“And as soon as he said Robertus Francisco, I thought ‘Oh my gosh. I know this man! I’ve met him before,’” Ledoux said.
This past November, Cardinal Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — celebrated Thanksgiving with Ledoux and the other seminarians at the Pontifical North American College on the Janiculum Hill overlooking the Vatican.
“He is a very kind man, and he really enjoyed being here at the college to celebrate Thanksgiving with other Americans,” Ledoux said.
“He realizes where he comes from,” he said.
Father Chris Murphy of Riverside, a former spiritual advisor at the seminary, happened to be in Rome when Pope Francis died. Last week, he was one of four priests from the Diocese of Providence who joined hundreds of fellow priests to concelebrate the Mass of Christian Burial for Pope Francis.
“It was a strange mixture of mourning and grief, but also hope for the future,” Father Murphy said.
Standing in the piazza on Thursday to greet the arrival of the first American pope, he felt that sense of hope fulfilled.
“I called my father today, and it was very special to share that with him. As representatives of the Diocese of Providence, it’s a privilege to be here. But we want to share it with the people back home,” he said.
Before the conclave, Cardinal Prevost served as prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops. He would certainly have been involved in the selection process of the new Bishop of Providence.
Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, due to take office May 20, issued a statement saying: “For some time now, Catholic Rhode Islanders have had the unique and unenviable experience of not only waiting for a new bishop, but also a new pope. Happily, the time of waiting has come to a close.”
By choosing the papal name Leo, the new pontiff may be signaling where he intends to take the church. Pope Leo XIII reigned during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency. Church historians remember him as the Pope of Labor, a supporter of working people during the time of the Robber Barons.
The first Pope Leo, Leo the Great in the 5th Century, famously faced down Atilla the Hun. Legend has it Leo rode out to the countryside and convinced the pagan invaders not to sack Rome. During the Renaissance, Raphael painted a picture of that scene, still part of the vast Vatican art collection.
If you had bet on the conclave choosing an American pope, you’d be rich. A few people did, and their bets paid off nearly 100-to-1.
Here in Rhode Island, former state attorney general Arlene Violet liked what she saw in the new pope.
“His speech certainly spoke to me that he gets the message of equality. And that we are all on this planet together,” she said.
Violet, a former nun, said she believes the fact that the new pope is an American may help him connect with Americans at a time when politics is so deeply divided.
“Far too many of us Americans have lost our way,” Violet said. “And I think it gives him a platform, being an American, that ordinarily he would not have.”
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence held a special mass on Thursday to celebrate the new pope. The Diocese of Providence is planning additional events in the coming days.
