Journalists, by their very nature, always want to chase the big stories. And especially for Catholic journalists, there is no bigger story than the transition from a pope who has died to the next successor to the chair of St. Peter.
With 2025 being a Jubilee year, Rome was already filled with pilgrims from around the world when Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. Very soon, hundreds of thousands more would flood in, including more than 4,000 journalists. Like for my colleagues, my first order of business when arriving in Rome was lining up at the Holy See Press office to obtain my temporary media credential, allowing access to papal events and areas from which to cover them that I could not have utilized otherwise.
My press credential allowed me to enter an ancient spiral stone staircase on the “Carlo Magno” side of the colonnade to begin what seemed to be a never-ending ascent, although the effort was well-rewarded with spectacular views of the expanse St. Peter’s Square, on a level equal to that of the loggia upon which the new pope would emerge when white smoke billowed from the makeshift chimney atop the Sistine Chapel.
Ironically, although the vantage point for photography amid the statues that have sat there for hundreds of years is excellent, it doesn’t allow one to see the chimney when the smoke pours out. So, after a while, expecting the results of the first vote of the conclave to be known around 7 p.m. that first night, I descended the stairs to the Square, where my troubles to provide the best coverage possible began.
On the ground I was told that journalists are not permitted to remain in the Square, only pilgrims, and that I had to “return to Italy” — meaning somewhere down the Via della Conciliazione, where I would be out of range to capture the kind of photos I wanted when the smoke began to emerge from the Sistine Chapel, especially at dusk.
To me, that was unacceptable at this point, so I asked for a minute to get my gear together, allowing me to come up with a plan to remain in the Vatican City State territory and do the job I came to do.
I fiddled with my camera gear long enough for Lorenzo, the media wrangler, to turn his attention elsewhere. At that point, I began an hour-long game of Leapfrog, dodging calls for the long line of pilgrims to keep moving until I found myself in the very first gated area near the steps of St. Peter’s. I knew I had chosen the very best vantage point from which to capture the first release of smoke when Paul Haring, a colleague and well-known photographer for Catholic News Service in Rome suddenly appeared beside me.
Having met Paul several times over the years at Catholic Media Conventions in the U.S., we struck up a conversation and waited for the results. When the black smoke poured forth, we both captured it from the best position that we could.
The next afternoon, there was another release of black smoke after the morning votes to elect a new Holy Father were inconclusive.
But that evening, a wave of emotion flowed through the crowd as white smoke billowed from the burning of the papal ballots. There was electricity in the air when it was announced that the first American pontiff had been elected and chosen the name Leo XIV. Soon after, a band of drummers marched in, along with a contingent of papal Swiss guards, who took their place on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica. The pageantry of 2,000 years of Roman Catholic history was arrayed for all the world to see and be inspired by.
My credential also allowed me access into a papal audience Pope Leo held for members of the media a couple of days later. The new pontiff was warm and engaging with his audience, offering a look into his energy and enthusiasm for peace in the world. And it was an extreme privilege to me to be there to witness it firsthand.
