People who were near the campus of Catholic University in Northeast D.C. got the news that a new pope had been elected when the bells of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception pealed loudly Thursday afternoon.
Hundreds of people,including those celebrating Mass, began cheering when white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, signaling that a new pope had been elected.
The basilica’s massive bells rang for nine minutes after the news broke.
Father Douglas Hunter was chaperoning a group of junior high school students from a Catholic school in Indianapolis, when he got the news that Cardinal Robert Prevost had been elected by the papal conclave to become the new pope. Prevost took the name Pope Leo XIV.
Hunter said it was a day he and his students will remember for the rest of their lives.
“It is a beautiful time for the American church locally, but also for the international church as well,” Hunter said. “It was kind of shocking because we were going to go head into Mass, and then all of a sudden, they announced that we have a new pope. These students witnessed history.”
Hunter said he was surprised the conclave selected an American, and he believes because Leo is relatively young, at 69, he could be in the position for many years and have an enormous impact globally.
Senior Faith Dickerson, a student at Catholic University, said her initial reaction was very positive.
She was impressed the cardinals selected a new leader with such diverse and international experience as the new pope, who was raised in Chicago, attended college in Philadelphia, spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru and holds dual citizenship for the U.S. and Peru.
“His parents are Italian and French, and he lived in Peru for a while, so I’m very excited to see what will happen with this multicultural background,” Dickerson said. “I think it’s very exciting. I was actually very surprised at how short the conclave was.”
The new pope’s father was of French and Italian descent and his mother was of Spanish descent, Vatican News reported.
Dickerson said she hopes the new pope comes to visit D.C., like previous Popes John Paul II, Benedict and Francis did during their respective papacies.
Richard and Danielle Martinez, of Phoenix, were in D.C. on vacation. They made the basilica one of the places they had to visit. They never imagined the timing would coincide with a papal announcement.
“I just actually finished a novena for the conclave, and I said the prayer right before Mass started. And then this happened. So, it was just beautiful timing,” Danielle Martinez said. “We believe it’s the Holy Spirit at work here.”
“I didn’t think (I would) see (this) in my lifetime. It’s really, really amazing. We’re very happy,” Richard Martinez said with a smile.
Karen Hardy, a staff member at the basilica, is hopeful that the new pope will carry on much of the work that Pope Francis dedicated himself to, especially concerning his acts of kindness and love toward the poor.
“Obviously, being in the place that we are, it’s a terrifically exciting for everyone here,” Hardy said. “I’m optimistic.”
Editor’s note: The story has been edited to correct where Karen Hardy works.
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