From Heaven, with Love: My Second Home, Lourdes, France

In 1967 at age 19, I traveled around Europe. I walked the entire city of Rome day and night. The city was quite different then. I remember walking into St. Peter’s Basilica through the front doors, stepping into a totally lit Basilica. Pope Paul VI passed directly in front of me, carried on an elaborate chair resting on the shoulders of many men.
My next visit since then was in September 2013. It is now more heavily populated with thousands of tourists. There is an elaborate security system to enter the grounds of the Vatican and the Basilica. A priest traveled with us. I attended Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in a wonderful underground chapel. We passed a large group of monks who were chanting Mass in Latin. This was a rare opportunity.
The highlight of this trip, and the reason I made this pilgrimage, was because of Pope Francis. He had been elected February of that year. I needed to see this “revolutionary” man of God with my own eyes.
The chairs (into the thousands) are set up beginning on Monday. The entire of St. Peter’s Square is filled with them, yellow tape roping off sections, and a “maze” of “passage” for the Pope’s vehicle. Our tour guide directed us to seats allowing a very close view as the Pope passed. This experience is arduous, beginning early in the morning on very long lines, through security, and then to the seating area. We took our seats immediately adjacent to the yellow rope because Pope Francis passes up and down, in and out, missing no opportunity to greet people. It was a beautiful sunny day; September is the best time of year to visit Europe. Wearing a wide brimmed hat, I was comfortable and very excited.
Pope Francis was scheduled to begin his passage at 10:30AM, but he began fifteen minutes earlier. The entire Square was full and the crowd was spilling out onto the road and sidewalk outside of Vatican City. This Pope has enormous crowds awaiting his audience, historic in size.
When the Pope makes his appearance, a loud gong is sounded for the entire time he is moving. They begin it the moment he steps into his vehicle and do not stop until he has reached the podium (far, far away if you are in the back of the crowd); it is repeated when he leaves the podium to re-enter the Basilica. There are enormous screens set up at various places so he can be very well seen as he makes his way around the Square and especially as he gives his homily. I was blessed to see him up close and personal. When he passed me, had I reached out my hand I could almost have touched him and certainly, had he decided to do so, he would have been able to direct his vehicle a bit closer so as to reach out and touch me. He did this many times, mostly for children, whom he appears to love.
A simple white garment and a pewter cross is what he wore. He was not adorned in the manner of Pope Paul VI, in gilded robes with a large hat and gold cross. This is a simple man and he intends to remain that way. We were told that he has not moved into the Papal apartments but rather chooses to live more simply in a small house behind the Basilica.
Here he came, full of joy and love, wanting to embrace every single person had he been able to do this. Surrounding him was personal security, a group of men dressed in black. Every single one of them was laughing and smiling because of the enormous love that poured from the huge crowd. The love for this Pope was palpable, the Spirit was intensely present in that place, and the man himself did as Christ did, he had no special protection, no barrier between himself and the people. As he passed me, I shouted “Papa!” and he looked right at me and smiled. This was an amazing moment.
Is Pope Francis everything he is said to be? I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it, and the answer is: yes.