The Good Catholic Life

Summary of today’s show: Wrapping up two weeks in Rome covering the end of Pope Benedict’s pontificate and the beginning of Pope Francis’, Scot Landry, Fr. Roger Landry and George Martell reflect on their experiences and on the moments and images that will endure with them. They also reflected on their participation in Pope Francis’ meeting with members of the media on Saturday and on his Sunday Angelus message in St. Peter’s Square. Scot also talked with Michael Severance of the Action Institute about his encounter with then-Archbishop Bergoglio at the University of Dallas’ Rome campus in 2001 and how it gives a glimpse to the character of Pope Francis. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, George Martell, Michael Severance Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome on Flickr Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube Acton Institute University of Dallas University of Dallas - Rome experience Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome: Reflecting on the experience and on Pope Francis 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the final program from Rome which has been coming to everyone from there for the past couple of weeks. He welcomed George Martell and Fr. Roger Landry to the show. George has taken more than 3,000 photos over the past week and published about 1,000 in the past couple of weeks. He asked George what he’s seen. George said his photos can all be seen at BostonCatholicPhotos.com. The most important moment was the Habemus papam. They’d had no idea it would be white smoke that night and were so surprised. They were wondering if it would be Cardinal Seán because so much attention had been given to him. The night was very rainy and they waited and waited and suddenly it was white smoke and people were celebrating and he will remember that moment most clearly. On Cardinal Seán, George had seen in the cardinal’s face that he could sense the weight that he was experiencing. George has been photographing the cardinal for six years and knew him very well. George said when he heard “Francesco” he thought at first it would be him, but when he realized it, he was very happy for him. On the most enjoyable shot was when he was able to get fairly close during the meeting with the media and was able to get several shots of the Pope’s face. cot asked George’s first impression of Pope Francis, having taken so many photos of famous figures over the years. George said he’s very humble and there’s a sense that he knows what he wants to do. He laughs a lot and smiles a lot. Scot asked Fr. Roger over the last two weeks and in anticipation of the Mass of inauguration tomorrow, what will stand out. Fr. Roger will remember when he came out on the balcony and asked us to pray to God to bless him and bowed over very humbly. Before that there were two other moments of silence—when his name was announced and then another moment was when he came out on the balcony and just stared at everyone. Fr. Roger said said the cardinals on the balcony didn’t know what was going on in the silence of the prayer and even the national media thought they lost audio when the 100,000-strong crowd was hushed. Fr. Roger added that another memory was seeing how comfortable Pope Francis is and giving an example of how the reform of the Church will occur. What we saw with St. Francis of Assisi is that the reform of the Church began with individual men and women. Pope Francis is starting the reform in his own heart. He went to St. Mary Major to pray to Our Lady and emphasized the Church as more Marian than Petrine. Fr. Roger said the theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar said the Church is more following Mary than Peter. The Church is virginal in her love for the Lord, loving God above everyone else. The Church is welcoming, like a mother welcoming all her children. The Church says Yes to God (“Fiat”). The Church leads to the New Evangelization, brings Jesus to others. The most important hierarchy in the Church is not the hierarchy of holy orders, but the hierarchy of holiness at the top of which is a woman, Mary. Petrine means Jesus founded a Church with a particular structure, but to have an effective papacy, we need holy popes, who have learned holiness from Mary. The Church’s reform is not just changing the heads of some offices, but begins by following Mary by being a faithful recipient of what is given and then giving that to the world. Scot said Pope Francis ends each prayer by invoking Our Lady. He noted that Latin Americans have a special devotion to Our Lady. He asked if there is something particular about this devotion compared to the devotion of Pope John Paul II. Fr. Roger said the truths he just articulated are put into action by devotion. Marian devotion from one country to another has certain differences, devotions based on particular images or titles, but what matters is the person behind the image or title. He said for so many our relationship with Mary was affected by Pope John Paul’s deep Marian devotion. Our new Holy Father has grown in his Marian devotion through the example of John Paul. If you don’t have a great Marian devotion now, you can learn it from our present Holy Father as he learned it from our previous Holy Father. He said Pope Francis rises at 4:30am each day and prays all 20 decades of the rosary. His Marian devotion is also scripturally based and now recognizes more than at any time in his life how much he needs her. Pope Francis isn’t trying to fit into a particular idea of the papacy, but is being himself and living the papacy as himself. Scot asked other enjoyable moments Fr. Roger has had on this trip. Fr. Roger said he was moved by being able to celebrate Mass at St. Peter’s every morning. The first time he was celebrating Mass there because he felt spiritually orphaned because Pope Benedict had retired. But during Mass, he noted that he was surrounded by the great popes of the Church, 148 of them buried there. It was a comfort for him to realize he wasn’t spiritually orphaned. Then once Pope Francis was elected, to be able to go into the place where one day he will almost certainly be buried, to celebrate Mass for him through the intercession of his predecessors created a spiritual connection with him. Scot said what stood out for him was being in shock on Wednesday night when the white smoke came. He’d thought it would be an awful night for white smoke because of the pouring rain and how difficult it would be for everyone. But then the rain stopped. Then the pope came out and no one really knew who Pope Francis was. On the following day when Cardinal Seán had a press conference with the media, in speaking with the cardinal briefly beforehand, Scot heard clearly how thrilled Cardinal Seán was at the election of Pope Francis. Then seeing Pope Francis be really comfortable with his sense of humor in the meeting with the media. It reminds him of how Cardinal Seán’s sense of humor endears him to so many. Scot said he loves what he’s already heard from Pope Francis who has a simple message. We’ve had brilliant theologians over past decades, and Pope Francis is also brilliant, but he’s been a pastor for so long, he connects with people as a pastor. Scot said he’s realized how much he loves being a conduit for so many prayer requests from a number of countries and from around the United States. Many were for people who were ill or elderly or for family members or for the cardinals or for unique needs. He realized how many millions of requests the Blessed Mother gets asked to intercede for every day and gave him a new appreciation for intercessory prayer. He’s also realized how effective blogging is as a communications tool and as he reflects on the past two weeks of writing on TheGoodCatholicLife.com and posting George’s photos, he sees how they have been successful in letting people know what it was like to be over there at this time. Scot noted that there have been two significant events on the papal schedule since our last broadcast. The first was a meeting with the media. Scot and George and Fr. Roger attended. He asked George how important it was to have a smaller gathering of about 3,000 people. George said the intimacy was a plus. It was great to be able to see without having to look through a long lens. Looking at this face, you get a sense of what kind of person he is. He was able to see how humble he is. Fr. Roger shared some of the off-the-cuff remarks of Pope Francis. He said Popes in this kind of meeting normally would thank the journalists for all their hard work. The pope would also give them some news, some information that was otherwise unknown to make their time worthwhile. This time he told them the story of how he got his name of Francis. He told them that when he reached the necessary 77 votes, his friend Cardinal Claudio Hummes came to him and said, “Don’t forget the poor.” He was saying that he could be the pope who helps the Church become more poor in spirit, like in the beatitudes, but also help the poor. That made him think of St. Francis, who was a man of peace and who was so close to poor. He also noted that Francis is the patron of Italy and it provides him a close to connection his diocese as well. He added that others told him he should have taken other names, like Hadrian VII, after Hadrian VI who was a reformer, or Clement XV, after Clement XIV who suppressed the Society of Jesus in the early 1800s, as a come back from Pope Francis who is a Jesuit himself. He is very funny, even though many people have said in profiles of him that he doesn’t smile. Fr. Roger noted that he was hugging many people at the end of the meeting. Pope Francis also talked about the vocation of the journalist and said that covering the journey is different from covering other beats. You have to approach the Church through the lens of faith in order to understand. Journalists and the Church seek truth, beauty and goodness. The Church finds all those in Jesus Christ. On Sunday, Pope Francis had his first Angelus as Pope. Popes typically have two public events per week, the Wednesday General Audience and the Sunday Angelus. George was able to be perched high on the colonnade above St. Peter’s Square. George said he was able to show the crowd through his photos. He said was able to capture the anticipation on the faces of the people for seeing the Pope. Scot said his sense is that about one-third of the crowd was seeing the Pope for the first time. Fr. Roger said Pope Francis’ message was gratitude for his warm welcome and then deeper meaning of Sunday’s Gospel in that God is rich in mercy. He said God never tires of forgiving us, but we tire of asking God for forgiveness. So we should pray to never tire of asking. He also told a story of helping out with confessions and talking to an old black woman who wasn’t very well educated and embarrassed to be talking to the archbishop. But she told him how the world wouldn’t exist without God’s mercy and he replied to her that she must have been educated at the Gregorian University because of the holy wisdom she showed. It shows how God has revealed the important things of the world to the little ones, not to the “wise” of the world. George ended by saying how much of a pleasure and honor it was to be there and communicate it all through his pictures. Fr. Roger said it’s been a real joy to be there to witness it firsthand and to communicate it back home. He said the good Catholic life is a life our new Holy Father is calling us to live and he expects to hear more about it tomorrow in his inauguration Mass. He’s very happy that our new Holy Father has started to walk us on that journey, asking us to follow him. 2nd segment: Scot was outside St. Peter’s Square and welcomed Michael Severance of the Action Institute to the show. Scot asked him to relate a story of then-Cardinal Bergoglio visiting the Rome campus of the University of Dallas. Michael said at the time he was director of the the university’s Rome program and they had a monthly speaker and dinner program. In February 2001, the guest was the then-archbishop who was two days from being made a cardinal. Michael’s job was to be his liaison and he arranged his travel for his visit, but he said the cardinal insisted on taking a train, which was very inexpensive. When they met, he insisted he call him Father Jorge instead of Your Excellency. And because he’d missed his original train, he’d missed the dinner but he gave his talk anyway. His English was quite good, but it sounded like he worked hard to memorize it. He finished the topic of the talk on the economic crisis in Argentina at the time. His theme was that if people believed in Christ, they would have 100% of what they need and would not have felt the losses as keenly. Afterward, Michael offered to take him out to dinner because he’d missed it earlier. Michael said at the time he’d been used to so much formality in Rome and how important it was to use the correct title for someone, but if this was what the archbishop wanted, then that’s what he would do. He understood him immediately to be a person of the people and of great humility. His refusal to take a car or a taxi, but instead to take the cheaper train showed he understood the pain of the people in Buenos Aires who had so little money. And then as for dinner, he said let’s go to dinner. But Michael said the cafeteria was closed and offered to take him to Castel Gandolfo for dinner. He said there was no need to take him out for an expensive dinner and asked what they had in the refrigerator. Michael checked his kitchen and found some cheese, sausages, pasta and good Roman bread so he offered a nice typical spaghetti amatriciana and they had a nice family meal with the children and Michael’s boss’s family. In interacting with the students, whenever asked a question by the students, he would look at this feet and rub his forehead vigorously. Michael at first thought he was having trouble understanding the students’ Texas accent. But when he answered it was clear he understood everything and had been recording everything in his mind. He said he has great listening capacity. He chooses his words wisely. His conversational English he rated at upper intermediate. Michael said his reaction upon hearing the name, at first he thought it was Cardinal Pell until others corrected him. He and his wife had talked previously about the possibility of the man they’d had in their home for dinner would be pope. Michael said in just a few days of his papacy we have seen him smiling and happy and speaking from his heart. He has the “teddy bear” factor in his favor. Scot asked what qualities the world will come to love the most. Michael said he’s a person not afraid to break with tradition, when they are seen in a negative way, some forms of opulence as we’ve already seen in some of his choices so far. He will be true to himself and sincere in his austerity. Michael said he heads up the Acton Institute’s Rome office. They are an ecumenical think tank that investigate the intersection of faith and economics. 3rd segment: Scot thanked everyone who has listened to the show over the past two weeks over the whole Station of the Cross network. The experience has brought him closer to God and he prayed the same is true for the listeners. Just a week ago, Cardinal Bergoglio was just a name and now he is our Pope. He is different in many ways. He is a man of the poor and wants to help those who are materially and spiritually poor. Scot summarized the work they’ve accomplished in Rome over the weeks they’ve been there. He said a chronicle of all the coverage is available on the website. Summary of all Rome coverage on TheGoodCatholicLife.com On tomorrow’s show, Scot and Fr. Chris O’Connor will discuss Pope Francis’ homily at his inauguration Mass and on Wednesday, Scot and Fr. Matt Williams will discuss “Rebuilt”, a book about the change in a parish in Maryland. The Thursday show will return to a discussion of the news.

Summary of today’s show: After emerging from the silence of the conclave that elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston met with reporters from Boston and beyond to discuss voting in the conclave, his impressions of the new Holy Father, and what he takes away from the experience. Also, Scot Landry provides his perspective on the events as a pilgrim in St. Peter’s Square. Finally, we look at the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Cardinal Seán O’Malley Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome on Flickr Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube Today’s topics: LIVE From Rome: Cardinal Seán’s first press conference after the conclave 1st segment: Thank you Rick. Welcome everyone, those listening in Boston and in these weeks of papal transition, those listening to the Station of the Cross from upstate New York and on iCatholic Radio. The world is learning so much more about our New Holy Father, Pope Francis. We are hearing reactions from Cardinals who participated in the Conclave to his election. We are also learning from his actions and from his first homily to the Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel a little bit more about his priorities as Pope. We will hear Cardinal Sean’s reactions in the first half of the show and then reflect on Pope Francis’ first homily as our Holy Father in the second half of the show. But first, have you ever wondered what it would be like to be standing in Saint Peter’s Square to see the white smoke, to hear “Habemus Papam” and the new Pope’s former name, and then to receive the Apostolic blessing. Until Wednesday night in Rome, I wondered about that too. But I had such a privileged opportunity to be there for the surprise of an earlier election than most anticipated and then to see, hear and experience what it was like. At around 7pm, when the smoke appeared, it was raining heavily in Piazza San Pietro. So you needed to move around the umbrellas to see the sightlines. Here is how I reacted: Video of Scot in St. Peter’s Square Then after a period of waiting, here is what it sounded like in St. Peter’s Square when they announced who the next Holy Father would be. Habemus Papam [audio src=http://media.thegoodcatholiclife.com/2013-03-14-Habemus-Papam-Announcement.mp3] Then about 10 minutes later, we heard the first words from Pope Francis. Pope Francis’s first remarks [audio src=”http://media.thegoodcatholiclife.com/2013-03-14-Pope-Francis-Remarks.mp3”] Then our New Holy Father gave us his first Apostolic Blessing. The whole experience was tremendously moving. For a complete description of what it was like, please visit TheGoodCatholicLife.com and see my blog posting of the experience. We’ll be back after this and we’ll listen to Cardinal Sean’s press conference yesterday with the Boston Media. You are listening to The Good Catholic Life. 2nd segment: Welcome back to the Good Catholic Life on our 2nd full day of the papacy of Pope Francis. Yesterday at the Pontifical North America College, Cardinal Seán greeted the press from Boston. It was a packed room just of Boston journalists. There asking questions were Lisa Zoll from the Associated Press, Joe Mathieu from WBZ radio, Lisa Hughes from WBZ-TV, Kim Khazei from WHDH, Heather Unruh from WCVB, Patricia Thomas from Associated Press TV, Lisa Wangness and David Filipov from the Globe, plus their camera operators and producers. In my brief conversations with Cardinal Seán before and after the media events, it was very apparent that he rejoiced in the election of Pope Francis and that he was extremely happy he would be returning to Boston to celebrate the liturgies of Holy Week. We’ll begin with his opening statement and then you’ll hear questions from the journalists around the room. Cardinal Seán: Well obviously, for everyone in the Church, that decision of Pope Benedict to resign was a shock, and in some ways, a crisis for us. To be without a Pope is being [spiritually] orphaned. So, the Conclave has given us a new Holy Father, a new representative for the Church, and a new Vicar of Christ. So it’s obviously a moment of great joy for the whole Catholic world. Being a part of it was a very humbling and moving experience. The Conclave is a very prayerful experience. It’s almost like a retreat. I know that when you read the Italian papers, it seems like it a political campaign, or like the primaries or something. [Laughter] It really is a spiritual and prayerful experience of discernment. When you walk up with a ballot in your hand and stand before the image of the Last Judgment and say, “with Christ as my witness, I am voting for the one whom I feel is the one God wants to do this [Petrine Ministry]. This is a great responsibility. Obviously, we’re delighted that the Holy Spirit moved us to elect Pope Francis. I certainly approve of the name! [Laughter] It is a great thing for us to have a Pope from the New World. I won’t say he’s the first non-European [Pope], because early on there were African Popes in the Church. He’s the first one from our hemisphere and obviously that’s a part of the world where half of the Catholics live. Also, almost half the Catholics in the United States are also Hispanic. The Pope is everyone’s Holy Father, but it’s a wonderful connection for him to have that cultural and linguistic tie with so many of the faithful. We’re also happy to see the interest of the press. [Laughter.] So many have been credentialed to cover this event. Last night, from the loggia looking down at the multitude in the Square, listening to the roar of enthusiasm, seeing all the flashes going off, hearing the papal anthem being played, and listening to the Holy Father’s words, and asking the people to pray with him and praying the very simple prayers that all Catholics know: The Our Father, The Hail Mary, The Glory Be. It was very moving. Rachel Zoll from the Associated Press: Could you talk a little bit about how you got to know Pope Francis? How long have you known him? Cardinal Seán: Well, I first met him in different meetings over the years. A couple years ago I was his guest in Argentina. I have always known of him and been an admirer of his. He’s very close to a number of the Capuchins in Argentina, who are the members of my order. [Followup] Rachel Zoll from the Associated Press: Would it be fair to say you know him very well? Cardinal Seán: Yes. Joe Mathieu from WBZ radio. Good morning and thank you for spending time with us. We appreciate you for being so generous. Your name has been thrown around in the Boston press, Italian press, International press for some many days with so much speculation. I am wondering if you feel a sense of relief this morning that you have the same job? Cardinal Seán: As I told someone this morning, if the only prerequisite for being Pope was not wanting the job, I would have been the most qualified Cardinal in the Conclave. [Laughter.] So, of course, I was gratified by the warmth of the Italians in their enthusiasm for me. But that’s because they love St. Francis. They got a Pope Francis anyway, so I hope they’re satisfied. [Laughter.] Lisa Hughes from WBZ-TV. When we were here last night, Your Eminence, Cardinal Dolan described the moment when Pope Francis said “accepto.” He said that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Can you describe that moment when former Cardinal Bergoglio accepted this honor? Cardinal Seán: Well, obviously, we were all hoping that he wouldn’t decline. [Laughter.] It was a very moving moment. Afterwards, each one of us went up and kissed his ring, hugged him, and congratulated him. It was a very moving experience, truly. Kim Khazei from WHDH. I wanted to just ask that about the popularity. Even though you said you bought a round trip ticket, a lot of people thought that you would be a great fit for the job. Your humility. What else is there about you that you might have been able to bring to the table? You also spoke about Pope Francis, particularly you talked about reforming the Church being a priority. Do you expect to see more the same or change in the Catholic Church? Cardinal Seán: Pope Francis is coming out of Latin America where there is such a contrast of rich and poor, and so many very grave social problems. He is a man who is very much impassioned by the desire to make the Church present to people in their suffering, relieve the suffering of the poor, and make them feel that it is their Church. I think that is going to have repercussions in this pontificate. [Followup] Kim Khazei from WHDH. With some of the pain people have felt back home in Massachusetts and in the United States, with the scandal, do you think there will be healing there? Cardinal Seán: I’m confident that there will be. This is a man who has a great sense of mission. He values transparency. I have great confidence that he will further the process of healing in our Church. Heather Unruh from WCVB - It’s great to see you. Thanks for having us today. Can you tell me your reaction when you realized that this was would be the first Jesuit Pope? What does he significantly and uniquely bring to the Papacy? Cardinal Seán: The Jesuit order is one of the most important orders in the Church. I make a lot of jokes about Franciscans and Jesuits [laughter]. Their educational ministry and their presence in our missions is so great. They are known for their discernment. We need a wise and discerning leader in the Church at this time. I’m sure that he will help to re-energize the Catholic identity of Jesuit education and be a great source of encouragement to the Jesuit order throughout the world. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a religious as Pope. I think having somebody in the consecrated life as Pope is also a way of lifting up this vocation in the Church, of men and women religious, who so often around the frontlines throughout the world. We’re very, very pleased that we have a Jesuit Pope. Patricia Thomas from Associated Press TV - A Jesuit priest said to me this morning that Pope Francis came out without the mozetto on top of his vestments. This is a Pope who’s not going to fit in with the ‘silk and fur atmosphere’ of the papal court? Do you agree with that? Also, Thursday he is supposed to go to Castel Gandolfo. How do you think his relationship with the Pope Emeritus is going to work? Cardinal Seán: I’m sure that he will have a very great relationship with Pope Benedict. In fact, I was touched that one of the first things he did [last night] was to ask people to pray for Pope Benedict, and he expressed gratitude for his ministry. Obviously, as a Latin American, he doesn’t have the same weight of European history that people from this continent have. So I think he’s probably to be a little freer to perhaps jettison some of the traditional things. Those traditions are important to our people too, so there has to be a balance between what is appropriate in the 21st-century and what is a holdover from the past. Scot Landry from TheGoodCatholicLife.com and The Pilot- Cardinal Seán you mentioned you like the name Francis that he took. St. Francis had a mandate to rebuild the Church, primarily spiritually. Do you think that’s the significance of him choosing the name Francis, that he thinks he has a mandate to rebuild the Church? Cardinal Seán: I think that there are three themes in St. Francis that he’s identifying with. I haven’t spoken with him about this, so I’m sort of reading his mind. Certainly , he rebuilding the Church, the reforms of government in the Church and so forth [is one]. Also, certainly Francis as a universal brother. Francis wanted to be a brother to everyone. We have the famous “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” Yesterday he spoke about the brotherhood, the fraternity, that he wants to reign in the Church and in the world. That people look at themselves as brothers and sisters. That’s a very Franciscan theme. Also, St. Francis’s love for the poor. For St. Francis the poor person was the Sacrament of Christ. Christ emptied himself, took on the form of a slave, and embraced the cross for love of us. For Francis, the poor person was a sacrament of Christ. That’s the vision that Pope Francis has and that’s why he chose that name. He was very clear right from the beginning. He said this is in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, not Francis Xavier who was the Jesuit. [Laughter]. Rachel Zoll from the Associated Press: Can you talk a little bit about the stability and some the challenges ahead for this Pope? There was some surprise about age. There were expectations and built up that perhaps somebody younger would be chosen as Pope, so that the Pontificate would be a little bit longer. Can you talk about that a little bit? Was that assumption wrong? Cardinal Seán: Obviously the assumption was wrong. [Laughter.] I think age was a consideration, but there were other considerations that weighed more heavily I think on the discernment process. Whether the Pope’s reign is long or short is not particularly important. Pope John XXIII was older when he was elected and so was Pope Benedict. I think the experience that he has and the gifts that he brings to the ministry are so precious and wonderful. Joe Mathieu from WBZ Radio - Cardinal Seán, it’s been reported many times over the past 12 to 24 hours that Cardinal Bergoglio rejected many of the luxuries that are enjoyed by many Cardinals across the world: no limousines; no mansions; he lived in a small apartment; cooked his own meals they say; took the bus to work. I’m wondering to what extent you relate with that lifestyle and whether this is going to be a change in lifestyle for all Cardinals around the world. Cardinal Seán: I’m not sure what the impact will be. Certainly, the simplicity with which he has lived [is a example for all]. I think he’s been very faithful and has tried to live his religious life even as a Bishop and as a cardinal. That’s a good example that we hope will have an impact. Lisa Hughes from WBZ-TV. Your Eminence, what do you want to people in Boston to know about Pope Francis today? Cardinal Seán: Well, just that is a very good man, and that he’s going to be a good leader for the Church. His experience of coming out of Latin America is also very important to us in the New World, and particularly, in the growing immigrant populations in Boston. I think there will be a great sense of joy and identification with the Holy Father. I’m curious to see what will happen this Summer at World Youth Day. They were already talking about 2 to 3 million young people in Rio. But that was before they counted on all of Argentina coming, [laughter] and the rest of Latin America. It will be quite a wonderful event. [Followup] Lisa Hughes from WBZ-TV. Will you go? Cardinal Seán: Yes. Kim Khazei from WHDH: Cardinal Seán, when you first walked into the room and made your opening remarks, you said you were moved when Pope Francis asked people to pray. It brought you close to tears. What specifically where you were reflecting on that made you so emotional? Cardinal Seán: They were simple prayers that all Catholics know. From children to old people, to those who have university education, and those who are illiterate. Those prayers unite us all in the same family of faith. It was beautiful to see how he was able to hush hundreds of thousands of people who were cheering and so enthusiastic. He was able to bring them to the moment of prayer, to be in God’s presence. [Followup] Kim Khazei from WHDH: Did this whole experience end up being one of the most important moments of your life? Cardinal Seán: I never imagined as a child that someday I would be a part of the Conclave. Some of you may be old enough to remember there was a movie out – “The Cardinal” - many years ago. Although the storyline was not the most edifying, they were famous for the way they replicated the scene in the Sistine Chapel. I never imagined that someday I would be in that Chapel, taking that oath before Christ the Judge of the world, and being part of choosing a new successor to Saint Peter. Heather Unruh from WCVB: I know you’ve made it clear, Cardinal Seán, that you looked forward to that round-trip ticket home. What are you most looking forward to? I know that if you had been as Pope, you would give up the entire life that you’ve known so far. So now that you know if you’re returning to Boston, and the things you love, what are you most looking forward to? Cardinal Seán: During Holy Week, we have the Chrism Mass, which to me is one of the most important moments of the year. I gather with all the priests, we renew our vows to serve God’s people, we bless the oils that are used as our tools for baptisms, confirmations, and anointing of the sick. That’s always a very important moment for priests. I look forward to sharing that moment with my priests each year. [Followup] Heather Unruh from WCVB: Are you also looking forward to some of the smaller things in life, the things that you like to do? Maybe you could elaborate on if you have a favorite street you walk on. Cardinal Seán: Well I think just being able to go out and walk. [Laughter]. People talk about the palace that the Pope has and everything. He’s a prisoner in a museum. [Laughter]. It’s not a wonderful life. In fact, I read Cardinal Dziwisz’s book about his experience being Pope John Paul II’s secretary for so many years. In that book, he reveals that John Paul II used to sneak out [of the Vatican] to go skiing. Nobody knew about that. I was so happy, [laughter] because the Italian government, The Gendarmes, the Army and everyone else would have had a fit. But they used to put him in the backseat of the car and go out and go skiing. I hope Francis will be able to sneak out occasionally, to go to a tango show or something. [Laughter.] Patricia Thomas from Associated Press TV - Last night I was standing at the obelisk just like I was when Cardinal Ratzinger came out in 2005. It was taking longer. I was standing with a lot of Italian photographers who were joking around saying, “it’s taking so long, he must be panicking back there because he doesn’t want to do it.” Why was it taking so long? Was he doing the tango? [Laughter.] What was going on back there? Cardinal Seán: Well, there was such a crowd of people. Just getting him through took a long time because everybody wanted to congratulate him. A lot of the workers came in at that time. Also I think that they also wait to give people the time to get to the Piazza. I think he could have gone out earlier. The Sistine Chapel is right near the loggia. From the Sistine Chapel, we first prayed the Te Deum, a hymn of Thanksgiving. Then we greeted the Holy Father individually. Then we started walking over toward the big window. Then there was a big crowd out there [in the loggia] that kind of slowed things down. [Overall] I think the plan is always to give enough time for people to get to the Piazza once the word gets out that there is white smoke. Scot Landry from TheGoodCatholicLife.com and The Pilot- Cardinal Seán, you’ve just gone through a week of General Congregation meetings and a couple of days in the Conclave. You’ve been a priest for more than 40 years, a Bishop for more than 25, and a Cardinal for 7 years. What have you learned new, over the last week or so, that has helped you appreciate the beauty of the Catholic Faith more, that you look forward to sharing with Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston? Cardinal Seán: The catholicity of the Church. Being with the Cardinals from all over the world and listening to them talk about the experience of the faith and their people in Asia and Africa and South America and North America and Europe. The mission that we share as Catholics. Our fraternity in the Church, as brothers and sisters in the Lord, through our baptism. It’s a very moving experience. Lisa Wangsness from the Boston Globe. Could you talk about the kind of relationship you expect to have as Cardinal Archbishop of Boston with the new Pope. Do you expect to invite him to Boston? Do you think because you share a love for Latin America and the Spanish language, that you’ll have any particular mission or projects that you’ll be working on? Cardinal Seán: It’s a little early to forecast. Certainly, as Cardinals, we are at the disposition of the Holy Father and are his advisors. I told him that whatever we can do to help, we stand ready. We would look forward to inviting him someday to Boston. It would be good. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a Pope there. John Paul II was there in 1979. So we’re due. [Laughter.] David Filopov from the Boston Globe. We have heard snippets of things that the Pope has said that portray a humility and a sense of humor. Where you there at the toast, for example, when he said “may God forgive you all” [for electing me]. How does he come across as a person? Is he really the soft-spoken, self-deprecating man that was seen glimpses of? Cardinal Seán: He is. He’s very disarming. I had lunch with him yesterday before the vote [laughing]. At that point, he seemed very weighed down by what was happening. Last night, I think that was at peace in his heart that God’s will has been accomplished in his life. He’s very approachable. He’s very friendly. He has a good sense of humor. He’s very quick and a joy to be with. [Followup] David Filopov from the Boston Globe. Father Lombardi told us that he didn’t use the papal car but rather he rode back on the bus with the other Cardinals. How was the atmosphere? Were you surprised that he rode back on the bus? Did you expect that? Cardinal Seán: That’s what I would’ve expected. Lisa Wangsness from the Boston Globe. Can you talk a little bit about the time you spend with him in Buenos Aires in 2010? Cardinal Seán: I was there on business for the USCCB, the Bishops conference, and I was his guest. We did have the time to visit and talk a lot about this situation of the Church in Latin America. We spoke a lot about our some of our mutual friends. He gave me a great CD that I enjoy very much. It is the Misa Criolla, which is Argentine music for a Mass arrangement. It was a very pleasant and very informal visit, because my business for the USCCB was not precisely with him. With him, it was more of a social visit. [Followup] Lisa Wangsness from the Boston Globe. Were you at his house? Cardinal Seán: Yes. [Followup] Lisa Wangsness from the Boston Globe. Did you visit his apartment? If so, can you describe it? Cardinal Seán: He lives in the part of the Chancery, which is a church office building. There’s an apartment in there and perhaps his secretaries. I’m not really sure who is in the other apartments. Those are Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s remarks at the press conference yesterday with Boston media. I’d like to highlight 7 points from his remarks that stood out to me. Cardinal described the Conclave as a very prayerful experience. It’s almost like a retreat. It really is a spiritual experience of discernment. When you walk up with a ballot in your hand and stand before the image of the Last Judgment and say, “with Christ as my witness, I am voting for the one whom I feel is the one God wants to do this [Petrine Ministry]. This is a great responsibility. He also mentioned it was so easy to pray looking at the ceiling and the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Cardinal Sean was thrilled that he took the name Francis and he made sure to emphasize that Pope Francis took the name to emulate St. Francis of Assisi. He speculated that he did it for 3 reasons – Because of St. Francis’ mission to rebuild the Church. Because of St. Francis’ emphasis that we all are brothers and sisters in the Lord. And because of St. Francis’ love of the poor. Cardinal Seán expressed his happiness at coming home to Boston soon and clarified that he didn’t want the job with his typical humor: “As I told someone this morning, if the only prerequisite for being Pope was not wanting the job, I would have been the most qualified Cardinal in the Conclave. [Laughter.] So, of course, I was gratified by the warmth of the Italians in their enthusiasm for me. But that’s because they love St. Francis. They got a Pope Francis anyway, so I hope they’re satisfied.” [Laughter.] Cardinal Sean became emotional when he described the experience looking at the crowd in Piazza San Pietro and Francis calling them to prayer. He said “Last night, from the loggia looking down at the multitude in the Square, listening to the roar of enthusiasm, seeing all the flashes going off, hearing the papal anthem being played, and listening to the Holy Father’s words, and asking the people to pray with him and praying the very simple prayers that all Catholics know: The Our Father, The Hail Mary, The Glory Be. It was very moving. They were simple prayers that all Catholics know. From children to old people, to those who have university education, and those who are illiterate. Those prayers unite us all in the same family of faith. It was beautiful to see how he was able to hush hundreds of thousands of people who were cheering and so enthusiastic. He was able to bring them to the moment of prayer, to be in God’s presence. Cardinal Sean said that age was a consideration, but there were other considerations that weighed more heavily I think on the discernment process. He commented that whether the Pope’s reign is long or short is not particularly important. Pope John XXIII was older when he was elected and so was Pope Benedict. I think the experience that he has and the gifts that he brings to the ministry are so precious and wonderful. Cardinal Sean said that he’s most looking to returning to Boston for Holy Week. He said “During Holy Week, we have the Chrism Mass, which to me is one of the most important moments of the year. I gather with all the priests, we renew our vows to serve God’s people, we bless the oils that are used as our tools for baptisms, confirmations, and anointing of the sick. That’s always a very important moment for priests. I look forward to sharing that moment with my priests each year. In describing Pope Francis personally, Cardinal Sean said that he knew him well and mentioned that Pope Francis is very approachable, very friendly, has a good sense of humor, he’s very quick thinking and a joy to be with. Next on the Good Catholic Life, we’ll discuss Pope Francis’ first homily to the Cardinals and to the world. Please stay tuned. 3rd segment: Yesterday, Pope Francis met with the Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel at 5pm for the Celebration of Mass. He preached without written remarks and he did it from the pulpit instead of sitting in a chair. It was very different from what we’ve seen over the last couple of decades. It was impressive to me, given all he’s been through over the past few days, to hear him deliver such an eloquent homily off the cuff. Here is a translated version of what he preached, courtesy of ZENIT.org There is something that I see that these three readings have in common: movement. In the first reading it is the movement of a journey; in the second reading it is the movement in building the Church; in the third, the Gospel, it is the movement of confession. Journeying, building, confessing. First, Journeying. “House of Jacob, come, let us walk together in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5). This is the first thing that God said to Abraham: Walk in my presence and you will be blameless. Journey: our life is a journey and when we stop it does not go on. Journey always in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live with that blamelessness that God asked of Abraham in his promise. Second, Building. Building the Church. Stones are spoken of: the stones have a consistency, but they are the living stones, stones anointed by the Spirit. Building the Church, the Bride of Christ, upon that cornerstone that is the Lord himself. Building is another form of movement in our life. Third, confessing. We can journey as much as we want, we can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, the thing does not work. We will become a welfare NGO but not the Church, the Bride of Christ. When we do not journey, we stop. When we do not build upon the stones, what happens? Everything collapses, loses its consistency, like the sandcastles that children build on the beach. When we do not confess Jesus Christ, I am reminded of the words of Léon Bloy: “Whoever does not pray to the Lord, prays to the devil.” When we do not confess Jesus Christ, we confess the worldliness of the devil, the worldliness of the demon. Journeying, building-constructing, confessing. But it is not that easy, because in journeying, in constructing, in confessing, there are problems, there are movements antithetical to the journey: they are movements that take us backward. This Gospel continues with an important moment. The same Peter who had confessed Jesus Christ said to him: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I will follow you, but let’s not talk about the cross. This is not a part of it. I will follow you in other directions, but not to the cross. When we journey without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we confess a Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord: we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord. I would like for us all, after these days of grace, to have courage, precisely the courage, to walk in the Lord’s presence, with the cross of the Lord; to build the Church upon the blood of the Lord, which was poured out on the cross; and to confess the only glory there is: Christ crucified. And in this way the Church will go forward. It is my wish for all of us that the Holy Spirit – through the prayer of Our Lady, our Mother – bestow upon us the grace of journeying, building, confessing Jesus Christ crucified. Amen. Those are the words from the first homily of Pope Francis yesterday in the Sistine Chapel. A few things struck me. He’s a talented preacher to do this off the cuff. We are in for some great homilies during his pontificate. He used down to earth analogies, such as sandcastles on the beach that get washed away. He used powerful, striking language. He said if we don’t confess Christ and put him at the center of our mission, we become a welfare NGO. He said we need to confess Christ with the Cross. And to his brother bishops – and through them to us – he challenged us by saying “without confessing the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord: we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord. That’s tough. I loved how he described that we are always moving. We are either moving forward in the spiritual life or if we’re just trying to stay in place we’ll regress. He implored the bishops and the entire Church to walk with courage proclaiming the Cross of Christ. The last thing was that he ended his homily calling on the Blessed Mother. I believe Pope Francis will be known someday for his Marian Devotion just like Blessed John Paul II was. I can’t wait until his next homily at his installation Mass on Tuesday morning. We’ll take a look forward at this Sunday’s Mass readings next. You are listening to the Good Catholic Life. 4th segment: Welcome back to The Good Catholic Life here from Rome. For our new listeners, we often try to end our week by turning toward the Sunday readings. Hearing them on Friday gives us the chance to reflect on them before we join our Brothers and Sisters at Mass on Sunday. First Reading for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 17, 2013 (Isaiah 43:16-21) Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise. Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 17, 2013 (John 8:1-11) Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” Now some reflections (courtesy of CatholicPreaching.com): Last week, Jesus preached to us the parable of the Prodigal Son, which stressed the Father’s undying love for his wayward child, the meaning of genuine repentance and the sadness of the older brother who couldn’t share his father’s joy. In today’s Gospel, that STORY (parable) about God’s forgiveness becomes REALITY, in the encounter of Jesus with the woman caught in adultery and with all the “older brothers” who were trying to get her killed rather than trying to bring her to mercy. Just as Jesus wanted us last week to see ourselves as the prodigal son, who acted as if his father were dead and squandered the inheritance of love, so he wants us to see ourselves in the woman caught red-handed. Moreover, just as the Lord wants us to recognize that often we can behave like the older brother in the parable who resents mercy given to sinful siblings, so, too, the Lord wishes us to drop whatever stones are in our hands and use even other’s sins as a reminder of our own. The Church gives us this reading on the fifth Sunday of Lent to remind us, first, of the horror and the just consequences of sin; second, of the incredible gift of God’s mercy; and third, of what we need to do to receive that mercy. The first big lesson in today’s Gospel that the Church wants us to grasp this Lent. Each of us is like that woman caught in adultery, whether or not we’ve been captured by others in the act of committing such a sin. In the revelation God gave us in the Old Testament, He revealed that every sin is really adultery, because it is being unfaithful to the covenant of love we have entered into with God. He referred to Israel as his adulterous bride, and, in some ways, each of us are part of that adulterous bride. Each of us merits to be stoned. But, as we see in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Christ laid down his life to make his bride holy and spotless. He, the only one who fully merits to be able to cast a stone, took the stones, the bullet, intended for us and died out of love so that his bride wouldn’t have to. Such great love is supposed to lead to three reactions on our part: The first is to have a just horror for our sins and to recognize how deadly they are The second thing is to come to receive his mercy The third reaction is to stop judging others and begin to extend God’s merciful forgiveness to them That will conclude today’s episode of The Good Catholic Life. For recordings of today’s show and all our previous shows, please visit our website, TheGoodCatholicLife.com. We encourage you also to follow our daily blog from Rome which is also available at TheGoodCatholicLife.com and to view George Martell’s photos on BostonCatholicPhotos.com. For our production team of Rick Heil, Dom Bettinelli, George Martell and Karla Goncalves, this is Scot Landry saying so long from Rome, God Bless You and Have a wonderful weekend!

Summary of today’s show: Due to the successful vote of the conclave and the announcement of the election of Pope Francis, this pre-recorded show from Wednesday, March 13, did not air. Rather than let these great interviews with Scot of Kim Daniels of Catholic Voices USA, Greg Erlandson of Our Sunday Visitor, and James Stella of the Vatican Museums go to waste, we’re bringing them to you now in this podcast form. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Kim Daniels of Catholic Voices USA, Greg Erlandson of Our Sunday Visitor, and James Stella Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome at BostonCatholicPhotos.com Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube.com Catholic Voices USA Our Sunday Visitor The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome: Catholic Voices USA, Our Sunday Visitor, and a Boston Catholic in the Vatican Museums 1st segment: As we taped this show, the cardinals were making their afternoon votes on Wednesday. Scot related what it was like in St. Peter’s Square during the vigils of the smoke from the Sistine Chapel. Scot Landry welcomed Kim Daniels of Catholic Voices USA to the show and noted that she participated in the Town Hall forum of the Fortnight for Freedom last June. They also talked about Catholic Voices and what they’re doing in Rome. Kim said she’s been writing and doing interviews, talking to people from all over the world covering this event that’s the biggest thing in the world right now. Scot said back home everybody’s talking about the conclave. What should we as Catholics be communicating about our faith when people ask us about what’s going on. Kim said it’s an important moment for us to talk about our faith. We’re excited they’re talking about Americans as serious contenders for the papacy. Scot said it wasn’t long ago most people would have said an American wouldn’t be a pope in our lifetime. Now that’s not true, mainly because so many Italians were praying for Cardinal Seán to be made pope and others including Cardinal Dolan among those seriously considered. Kim said when Pope Benedict resigned it didn’t cross her mind that there could be an American pope until today. People see the need for a holy man as Pope and Cardinal Seán is an example of that. Scot said American cardinals have a reputation of being good administrators. So many have been known for massive construction of church infrastructure. But today, they’re known as communicators and holy men as well as good organizers Kim said people in the US are involved in parishes more so than even in Europe. The American cardinals are known for being able to get things done, for finding efficiency, for working with the New Evangelization. Kim and Scot agreed that the media doesn’t get things wrong due to having an axe to grind, but because they haven’t been informed. She said the press conferences with the cardinals were great for the amount of evangelization they did. Kim said the most surprising part of her trip was how excited all the Romans are about it. As soon as word comes out that there is white smoke, the people come running from all over the city. Kim said seeing the black smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel chimney the first time was exciting. She said the whole crowd was happy and excited despite the bad weather. There is optimism from the crowd. Kim predicted the white smoke would come Thursday night because there wasn’t a clear frontrunner this time. Scot thinks after the 15th vote, there would be 5 to 10 cardinals who had received double digit numbers of votes, showing that the Church has many possible leaders. Scot said Cardinals Dolan and Seán will come home following all the buzz and momentum. Kim said her own cardinal, Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, DC, is also much loved and they’re also excited he’s being talked about, but also that he’s participating in the conclave. 2nd segment: Scot is now in St. Peter’s Square, where the black smoke flew again, and welcomed Greg Erlandson, president of Our Sunday Visitor, to the show. They noted the smoke came earlier by about 20 minutes than expected. They had two votes by 11:45 rather than noon. They agreed that the second and third votes would be most telling. The first vote could have double digits in names, but by the second and third, the numbers would be whittled down. They discussed the cardinals’ dinners at Casa Santa Martae where Greg had stayed on a visit to the Vatican. He said it’s like a well-appointed retreat center. It’s austere, but comfortable. Greg tweeted out a photo of the room. Greg on Twitter Greg predicted the conclave would last three days, until the 10th or 11th ballot, because the cardinals are focused. He said it’s clear that there isn’t a frontrunner. Greg talked about all that Our Sunday Visitor does as a diverse non-profit organization serving the Church. They just celebrated their hundredth anniversary. OSV Daily Takes OSV Parish Scot asked Greg to talk about OSV’s founder, Fr. John Noll, who later became Archbishop John Noll. He was a priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend who started a newspaper to help Catholics defend the Church against attack. They said secular media provides good spot coverage of big events with amazing images, but for depth, rely on Catholic media. Greg and Scot discussed how quickly new technology allows media organizations to provide resources in response to breaking events today. OSV can move quickly and get the second-day story after the daily newspapers get the breaking news. That’s where they provide a service both online and in print. Scot said Greg is also president of the Catholic Press Association. He said all newspapers are seeing declining numbers of subscribers, because people are reading them more and more online. How do they get people to support the ministry of Catholic newspapers in an online world? Greg said they’re still adapting to an online business model to replace advertising and other income streams. People want their information when they want, where they want it, how they want it. The challenge is how to the do it while maintaining the infrastructure and staff for both editions. One of his concerns is that some of these conflicts in society, the bishops need a voice even as they are losing their voice in these newspapers. People still need to get that newspaper delivered to them. However, we’re able to do things we’d never been able to do before in terms of new and social media. Scot said it’s his experience with the Pilot is that the most engaged Catholics in the Archdiocese are the ones reading the Pilot. They need to find a way to get people to support the Pilot to cover the salary and benefits of the people providing the stories that inspire and educate them. Greg said we have a culture of stewardship in the American Catholic Church and we need to import that into our consumption of Catholic media. Greg talked about some of the beautiful moments he experiences in Rome, like a group of young nuns praying together or another woman standing by herself praying the rosary or people who bring their nations’ flags. He also heard about a mother who wrote a note for her son that said if there was white smoke her son should be excused from class. In Rome, they are inherently Catholic. It’s in their blood and that comes out during these kinds of events. Scot noted that during Cardinal Seán’s Mass at Santa Maria dell Vittoria all the Italian cameramen and reporters all participated in Mass and even went up for Communion. He said you don’t see that in the US because American reporters consider themselves to be working, not participating. Greg had the same reaction at the Masses he saw. Rome is a city of contrasts. Sometimes there’s an anti-Church thread in Rome because otherwise they would drown in it all, yet they still celebrate their faith and the feasts and the like. 3rd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Gladys Dyer She wins the booklet The Way of the Cross at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy and the audio CD The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality by Matthew Kelly. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: Scot welcomed James Stella to the show. He’s originally from North Andover and now works for the Vatican. He had left his full-time job at Genzyme in Cambridge started as a volunteer at Caritas Internationalis in 2011 and eventually became a paid consultant. James said he’d never felt his old job in pharmaceutical sales to be all that rewarding. As his faith grew, he wanted to do more that was in line with it. Now he has a new job in the Vatican, working in the Vatican Museums with the Patrons of the Arts office, which does fundraising in the US and Europe for the preservation and restoration of the arts in the Vatican Museums. Ticket sales only cover operating expenses. Right now he’s working on a project for the Holy Stairs, brought back by St. Helen in the 400s. He’s also working on a project restoring artwork in the Vatican Gardens. Scot asked where the Vatican Museums fits in the world’s art museums. He said it’s the frontrunner in terms of Christian art collections and may be the greatest art collection overall, when you consider works like Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Scot was struck by the TV images of the procession of the cardinals into the Sistine Chapel because it was well lit and how rich and vibrant it is. And those are just two rooms. James said the most rewarding for him is seeing how it inspires visitors, bringing them closer to the faith. James said it’s hard to pick a favorite, but Michelangelo’s fresco in the Pauline chapel of St. Paul on the road to Damascus. St. Paul appears as an old man in that image. He said observing St. Paul’s conversion reminds James of how all Christians need to be converted and to come closer to our faith, if not that dramatically. He feels he’s come closer to the faith and had a conversion over the past 15-20 years. Scot asked what the past couple of weeks have been like. He said it’s been incredible and an honor and a humbling experience. He’d never imagined he could be living in Rome at this time. He enjoys the people and culture and the food of Rome. Scot asked about Cardinal Seán, who the Italians love and call the cappuccino Cardinal. James said he was in Tuscany a few weeks ago and a man asked him about Cardinal Seán, which surprised him. He’s surprised at how Italians have adopted him. James said he’s been to Naples and the Abruzzo region, as well as Tuscany. He plans to visit Assisi and travel further afield, including Sicily and Sardinia. Scot asked James when he thinks the white smoke will come. He said he guessed it would be Friday morning. Scot asked about growing up at St. Michael’s in Andover, which is the largest parish in the Archdiocese now. James said his family attended Mass every Sunday. At first for him it was a requirement, but over the years, especially with the opening of the new church, he became more involved with the parish as well as St. Leonard’s in the North End, where he moved in 2006. Speaking of Rome, James said Catholics should try to come and see it firsthand once in their life as the center of the Church. You can see it on TV or read about it, but there’s no way to replace being there in person. He said the best time to come in September. October is the start of the rainy season. People who are interested in getting involved can visit their website and find out about their local chapter, contact them and get involved with the events of the chapters. 5th segment: Scot reminded listeners that the show was recorded about 4pm Rome time and that the smoke was expected to go up about 5pm. As it turned out, the white smoke went up, our new Pope Francis was introduced and the airing of this episode of The Good Catholic Life was pre-empted by live programming on the Station of the Cross network. We hope you enjoyed this special episode.

Summary of today’s show: Who is Pope Francis? Scot Landry and Fr. Roger Landry talk about the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, who he is, how he was elected, what he was like as a Jesuit priest and archbishop in Argentina, and what we can expect from him in the future. Plus, how to address all the supposed controversies that will be dragged up to try to throw doubt on him. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome at BostonCatholicPhotos.com Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube.com Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome: Who is Pope Francis? 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show. Last night we heard the announcement of Pope Francis and he said it was a great honor to be in the crowd. He thinks the Church is going to love Pope Francis. He has lived a simple life as archbishop of Buenos Aires. HE thinks he will be a pope of signs and gestures. He welcomed Fr. Roger to the show. Fr. Roger said he was on live with Fox News and while Megyn Kelly was hesitant to say it was white smoke, he said it was clearly white compared to the previous black smoke. As soon as he was done, he ran down the stairs to the street and ran the blocks to the St. Peter’s Square so he could do a live video on his iPhone so his parishioners back home could experience it. Fr. Roger said he’d originally thought after five ballots, the odds were high it was Cardinal Scola or maybe it was Cardinal Dolan. He said when Cardinal Tauran came out and said “Georgium”, he quickly ran through the handful of Georges among the cardinals and then was stunned to hear “Bergoglio”. Scot said he and George Martell were up front among young people and young sisters. They couldn’t hear clearly and so when he heard Franciscum, he thought maybe he’d misheard earlier and it might be Cardinal Seán. There was a long wait for the Holy Father to come out and they saw the new Pope Francis. Scot said he was very quiet and he paused for a long time looking out on St. Peter’s Square. He might have been reflecting on his awesome new responsibility. Fr. Roger said he has a beautiful smile but his reputation is that he doesn’t let it erupt very often. Fr. Roger said his Italian is beautiful because his parents were Italian immigrants to Argentina. His first words were simple and humble. He addressed everyone as brothers and sisters. He immediately said, “Rome has her bishop.” He was making a connection to one of his principal duties. Today, he went over to St. Mary Major to pray before an image of Our Lady. There was a fire in the 6th century that would have destroyed a major part of the city and Pope St. George carried the image in procession through the fire and extinguished it. It was made famous again in 1940 when Pope Pius XII processed with the image all night to pray that Rome would be spared from Nazi carpetbombing. Huge cloud cover came over and instead the bombs dropped on a huge cemetery outside the city. Scot said two things stood out to him. The first was that he kept calling himself Bishop of Rome, not Supreme Pontiff or Pope. Something else that stood out to him was that he asked everyone to pray over him before he blessed the crowd. Fr. Roger said it shows that he’s first a man of prayer. He suffered in the Church in Argentina as the Jesuit order there had been taken over by those who believed in a Marxist Gospel. He was or less banished to be a simple chaplain, but he ended up becoming a great confessor and spiritual director. So his first act as pope was to lead everyone in prayer for Benedict XVI. Fr. Roger made the distinction that he asked us to pray for God to bless him. What moved Fr. Roger was how profoundly he bowed during the prayer to receive the strength to do what he’s been asked to do. Fr. Roger gave him his priestly blessing just like newly ordained priests give their bishop a blessing during their ordination Mass. Scot asked the significance of the name Francis. He’s very popular in Italy and one of the two patron saints of Italy with St. Catherine of Siena. Fr. Roger said St. Francis was praying in the dilapidated church of San Damiano and heard Christ speak from the crucifix to rebuild his church. At first he thought it meant rebuild that chapel, but then the Lord made it clear to rebuild the church of men, women, and children, the living stones. When St. Francis came to Rome, on the eve of his appearance, Pope Innocent had a dream of a man in a burlap sack holding up the corner of St. John Lateran Church, the pope’s cathedral. The next day he saw this friar from his dream came in. He had been there to ask to start a religious order, which wasn’t being done any more because they thought there were too many already. Pope Francis knows that the reform begins with each of us living our faith, living stone by living stone, this is how Christ’s whole Church will proclaim that is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Scot asked the significance of a Jesuit taking the name of St. Francis. Fr. Roger said he shares St. Francis’ love for the poor and his personal simplicity. He thinks it’s a unifier in that St. Francis is the one human being, no matter what religion or no religion, consider the one saint. There is universal reverence for St. Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis, if he lives up to the standard, will unite the Church in prayer and simple, humble service. Scot said he’s likely to be a pope of symbols. As archbishop, he gave up his mansion and moved into an apartment, gave up his limo and rode public transportation, and gave up his cook to make his own meals. Even last night, he eschewed the papal limo and took the cardinals’ bus back to the Casa S. Martae. He preached that he didn’t need any of the fancy things of his office. Fr. Roger said there’s a distinction between symbols and signs. Symbols are arbitrary, like a stop sign. Smoke is a sign of a fire which points naturally to what it’s related. So his actions are signs pointing to a real connection. It was far more symbolic, but signs of who he is and who we as Christians ought to be. When he invited the ailing emeritus archbishop to live with him in that apartment and cooked meals for both of them, he invited in a very poor community to use the episcopal residence. He’s trying to live as Jesus would live. You can’t preach the Gospel to the poor arriving in a Mercedes-Benz. In the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, information came out that Cardinal Bergoglio was runner up and had 40 votes in the second to last ballot. It’s also reported he stood and asked his supporters to vote for Ratzinger. It shows he’s had strong support from his brother cardinals and he wasn’t gunning for the job. Fr. Roger said for all the cardinals all who participated in 2005, about half of those still in this years’ conclave, Pope Francis wouldn’t have lost any of those qualities. He is a teacher who teaches by his lips and life; he’s a reformer who reformed the Jesuits in Argentina and the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. That means he’s a man who could clean up the Roman Curia. Scot said he’s the first pope from the Americas, first Francis, and first Jesuit. Scot said Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said Pope Francis comes from the new heartland of the Catholic Church. Forty-two percent of Catholics come from Latin America. Fr. Roger said he’s thrilled to have the first American pope. We’ve been formed by the European missionaries and now Europe needs to be re-evangelized. Italians noted how well Pope Francis spoke Italian, a native son who brought back real gifts from abroad. Scot said in the US we call ourselves Americans, but everyone in North, South and Central America are Americans. In the eyes of the Church, America includes all three. He said if you measure from the tip of Alaska to the tip of Chile, Mexico City where our Lady of Guadalupe appeared is dead center. We should be proud of him as a native son. Scot said he’s pleased to see that Pope Francis asked someone to send out a tweet at the @Pontifex Twitter handle with the simple Habemus Papam Franciscum. Fr. Roger thinks he will continue to use media. Pope Francis knows the importance of using every pulpit possible to reach the people where they are. We’ll see the continuation of this path in new media as a priority. Scot noted the Holy Father’s sense of humor in toasting the cardinals and saying, “May God forgive you” for electing him. Fr. Roger talked about the Holy Father’s emphasis in his ministry on God’s forgiveness and merciful love. They noted his episcopal motto translates as “Needing mercy and being chosen”. Scot and Fr. Roger discussed the controversies the media will latch onto. First, there is the claim of complicity with the military junta in Argentina. Second, supporting the Church’s teaching on contraception, and Third, supporting the church’s teaching on the family. On the first, two of his Jesuit priests wanted to advocate violence to overturn the military junta. When they were arrested, they asked him, as provincial minister, to lie to protect them and he refused. Later he also stood up for them and put his life on the line to ask for them to be released. But he didn’t lie. On the teaching on contraception and condoms, it’s said he advocated the use of condoms for the prevention of disease. Most Catholics don’t know the Church’s teaching with regard to contraception. Pope Paul VI said it’s immoral for a married couple to use it to prevent conception. But in regards to acts of violence, like marital rape by a husband with AIDS, that’s different. Scot said some of the media have talked about how the new Holy Father could change the doctrine of the Church, which isn’t possible. On the third element, he taught what the Church has always taught about the family and the rights of children to be raised in the context of mother and father. Fr. Roger said Pope Francis defies categorization as a moderate, conservative or liberal. Catholics are to be 100% faithful to the Good News and 100% faithful to the Lord’s command to love one another. He’s 100% orthodox and 100% charitable. He has said that same-sex activity is sinful, but those with those attractions are to be loved and afforded all their human rights, which don’t include the right to marry another of the same sex or to adopt children along with someone of the same sex. Pope Francis said children have a right to be raised by a mother and father, and children raised by two men or two women often report as adults that they have suffered as a result. It’s child abuse when we say a child doesn’t need both a mother and father, which is different from saying that if circumstances require they can be raised by one or another of their parents. It’s about saying a child doesn’t need a mother and a father. Fr. Roger said the evil of sexual abuse of minors is horrible and disgusting. When Jesus was talking about the worst imaginable sin, he said one who hears what I says and teaches other to fail to live it is fit to be tied to a millstone and thrown in the sea. As evil as sexual abuse of minors is, this type of poison of false teaching that leads people away from heaven is even worse, if we can imagine it. Our culture can’t pretend that there isn’t real truth or that all paths lead to heaven. Pope Francis has fought that and the Church has fought it. We need to understand the importance of communicating the Good News even when we are signs of contradiction. Scot said we look forward to Pope Francis’ first few days. He’s going to meet with Benedict XVI, meet with journalists, and on Sunday give a blessing at the Angelus, and on Tuesday morning there will be the Mass of inauguration and installation. Fr. Roger talked of what he thinks we’ll see from Pope Francis soon. He believes the Roman Curia reform will begin soon through his preaching and actions. He will lay the foundations over the next few days.

Summary of today’s show: Events in Rome reached their penultimate phase as the cardinals celebrated the Mass for the Election of a New Pope and then entered the Sistine Chapel for their first vote. Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Roger Landry, Terry Donilon, and Jay Fadden to discuss the events of the day, including their experience of the beauty and universality of the Church during the Mass and the obvious gravity and focus with which the cardinal-electors are taking their duty. Terry also talked about Cardinal Seán and all the intense media focus on him in these day. George Martell then joined Scot to discuss some of his photos which have been gathering national interest. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, Terry Donilon, Jay Fadden, George Martell Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome on Flickr Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube CatholicTV EWTN Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome: Mass for Election of a New Pope and the Conclave begins! 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Roger Landry to the show and they discussed the procession of the cardinal-electors to the Sistine Chapel. Fr. Roger said many of the cardinals know that this is one of the most significant acts of their lives. The show was recorded about an hour and a half prior to the procession into the chapel. Fr. Roger said the cardinals will be led in a meditation by an older cardinal on their responsibility. Today’s vote is important to show after all the conversations behind the scenes who the first and best choice is. He predicts that the decision for most cardinals will be between best and better candidates. He said a lot of times the cardinal who comes out with the most votes first isn’t the eventual winner and so they turn to their second choices on their lists. They discussed the selection of Cardinal Prosper Grech of Malta as the one to lead them in the meditation. The means by which he’s chosen for this task isn’t in law, just that there would be someone to lead them in this meditation. It’s the second of two homilies they receive. Earlier this week, they heard from Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa. If there’s no result after 14 votes they will hear from the senior member of the cardinal-deacons. After 7 more, from the senior cardinal-priest and 7 more from the senior cardinal-bishop. Scot said the cardinals swear an oath as they place their ballot in the receptacle and that process takes at least an hour. Fr. Roger said a cardinal told him that the rest of the cardinals pray their rosaries or pray the Divine Office. In 1978, during the election of John Paul I, Cardinal Wojtyla would be writing the first part of his Theology of the Body. However, today the rule is that all papers on the cardinals’ desks must be burned as well. Scot said after the voting, three cardinal-scrutineers count the ballots to make sure there are 115. Then they read each one aloud. He asked Fr. Roger what it’s like to hear their name announced, given the heaviness of the what they’re called to. Fr. Roger said Pope Benedict said hearing his name called was like a guillotine falling on his neck. To hear your name mentioned would feel like a compliment. All the other votes would be overwhelming especially as the momentum tends to build. Most people are in elections to win it, but in an election like this, it would be the opposite. Relief would come from hearing someone else’s name being announced. Scot said after the voting, the cardinals go back to the Domus Sancta Marta. What happens? Do they talk about it? Fr. Roger said some cardinals have said in 2005, they went to the chapel to pray and there are reports of finding cardinals in the chapel in the middle of the night. There’s talk over dinner while others go back to their rooms to read and avoid the conversations. He thinks some will sleep better than normal and some who won’t sleep at all. Fr. Roger said EWTN’s coverage of the day’s event will be repeated at 9pm and streamed online. 2nd segment: Scot said he is reporting from the top of the Augustinianem overlooking St. Peter’s Square. He said the cardinals were gathering in the Pauline Chapel to prepare to process into the Sistine Chapel. Terry Donilon, Secretary for Communications for the Archdiocese of Boston, joins him now. Scot said they gathered for a sendoff of the American Cardinals at the North American College at 7am. He said some people think the next pope might have been on that bus. Terry said if we believe what’s been in the Italian press, there’s been a vigorous mention of Cardinal Seán. He said the cardinal was his natural quiet reserved self and Cardinal Dolan was his natural boisterous self. Scot said all of these cardinals have led their large archdioceses and they all say this is the most significant decision they’ve made. Thinking of all his biggest life decisions, it’s amazing what the cardinals must be going through. Terry said their previous biggest decision was answering the call to become a priest. He said Cardinal Seán has consistently answered the call for difficult assignments throughout his life. Terry has been busy in Rome in recent days as international news organization want to know more about Cardinal Seán. Terry said it’s rewarding to be able to explain this cardinal who is real. He is the same in private as he is in front of the camera. He said he’s pleased there’s so much attention of the media back home on this. It’s nice to see the secular media showing the Church is relevant and important to the people. Scot noted that at 9:45 this morning, they started praying a rosary in many languages in St. Peter’s Basilica for the cardinals. Terry noticed during the rosary that the Swiss Guard was praying during the rosary too. He said he also noticed the media following the cardinal at his titular church the other going to Mass as well, which he wasn’t used to in the US. Scot said Cardinal Dolan was in a good mood and gestured to him while other cardinals looked very solemn. Scot said the congregation was the most diverse crowd he’s ever been in and it represented the universal Church. Terry said the cardinals likewise represent the diversity of the Church. He said that’s one of the reasons Cardinal Seán stands out, because of his Irish background but close association with Portuguese and Spanish-speaking people. Scot said during the Mass he gave thanks to God for being lucky enough to be in the room and praying for the prayer requests people are sending to [email protected]. Terry said what stood out for him was the music and the Latin chant. He said it added a lot of energy that we’re on the threshold of something important that is out of the ordinary experience. He loves music and loves the music of the Church. Every time he walks in the basilica he gives thanks for the those he loves and it’s a spiritual experience. But to be there in person is remarkable. Scot said he and George Martell were sitting very tightly packed and they discussed how they would receive Communion. But even in that jungle to receive Communion, as disorganized as it was, it really worked. It was moving to him to see people of all ages and all origins to be patient and helpful to one another. Terry was struck by the great number of people who were just milling about in the sides and people were very respectful. \ Scot said the cardinals are in the silent period. Cardinal Seán left his iPhone with his cardinal secretary at the North American College. He asked what people will see in the local media. Terry said they will be reporting on all the various angles. The Church is a complicated story. Terry thinks Cardinal Seán is being celebrated at home for all his pastoral achievements. Everyone he’s talked to on the national scene has said what a wonderful priest he is. He thinks they will also report on the rumor mills and unfortunately treat it a little bit like a political campaign. He hopes it shows that the Church is relevant with 1.2 billion Catholics and 1.8 million in Boston. Scot said many of the local Boston media are reporting that Cardinal Seán is thought to be a frontrunner, but it’s not the Italian people doing the voting. He asked how do people who love and admire Cardinal Seán deal with it if he’s not the one who comes out on the balcony later this week. Terry said selfishly we want him to come home. Nobody really wants the job of pope, but Cardinal Seán will do what’s asked of him. He thinks perhaps now we’ve turned a corner of people getting to know him and that will help with his commitment to the New Evangelization back home. Scot said when the smoke comes from the chimney he’s either going to be in the square waiting to see if it’s black or white or he’s going to be nearby and listen for the bells that signal white smoke. Terry said he’s too stressed to wait and will be in the square. Terry said he thinks the final vote will be Thursday. Scot said he found out at lunch that Friday is the Ides of March and if the vote is that day, there will be a lot of headlines. Scot thinks it will be Thursday evening and then it’s likely the Mass of Inauguration will be on the Feast of St. Joseph, Tuesday, March 19. He’s the Patron of the Universal Church and it’s a national holiday. Terry said he just hopes the sun shines on that day. 3rd segment: Scot welcomed Jay Fadden of CatholicTV and they noted they just heard Cardinal Seán take his oath in the conclave. Scot said the pageantry of the procession of the Litany of Saints and the praying of the Veni, Sancte Spiritus was beautiful. Jay said there was a change today at the moment of the procession. The weight of the decision these men will make was on them and they have become very focused. A man started to clap for the cardinals and one of them motioned for him to stop. He said in the Square, hundreds of people are standing in the pouring rain and watching the events on the giant monitors set up there. Scot said they show the universality of the Church. Scot said the Mass in the morning was beautiful. Jay said what stood out for him was the people in the basilica. There were so many young people, especially young nuns. He noted that during Communion people knelt on the stone floor until the cardinals had all received Communion. Scot said it’s now pouring in the Square but people don’t want to leave because it’s an historic moment and the next time we see the cardinals, we will have a new pope. Jay said it’s amazing to watch. One of those men will be the new leader of the Catholic Church. Scot said in the morning Jay was with them at the North American College to see the American cardinals boarding their bus for the conclave. He said they are supporting each other and preparing for this momentous decision together. Jay said the seminarians lined the street and clapped and cheered the cardinals as they left because they were recognizing the difficulty of this decision because of the enormity of what they will do. They’re not electing a CEO, but a spiritual leader. Jay said CatholicTV in Rome is doing blogs and live Skype shots back to Boston. They’re also filming many segments for other programs and interviewing people as well to make the trip worthwhile. Jay said he keeps bumping into people he knows. He bumped into Msgr. Connie McRae and other people from Boston, including those who have moved to Rome. He said they’re friends because they’re all part of this universal Church. Scot said the first ballot will be in an hour and then another hour for the smoke. He asked how long Jay thought how long the conclave will take. He guessed three days because it’s been a long time since it’s gone more than three days. The cardinals have the advantage of having been there eight to ten days talking to one another and thinking about it for at least a month. Scot repeated that he’s been predicting Friday all week until he realized that Friday is the Ides of March and no cardinal wants to come out on the Ides of March, so he thinks it’s Thursday. Jay said he hopes it’s Thursday because he wants a new Holy Father. Scot asked Jay how people could watch CatholicTV. He said people can use SkyAngel, CatholicTV.com, Roku, or iPhone and Android apps. He is also blogging at blog.CatholicTV.com. They both said they’re blogging for the first time. 4th segment: Scot welcomed George Martell to the show. They discussed how bad the weather has been in Rome, unusually bad. George said it makes taking photos more difficult, to capture those faces and the emotion. Scot said other media are able to use George’s photos in their publications. One of George’s photos from yesterday, of the cardinals on the bus, has gotten very wide distribution. He had gone to the North American College to use their Internet. He noticed the bus outside and went out to a lobby where some of the cardinals were gathering. He acted like a fly on the wall and then chatted a bit with Cardinal Seán. Suddenly they all got on the bus, so George followed them on even though he wasn’t sure. He asked Cardinal Seán if he thought it would be okay and he said sure. It turned out to be a great photo. Scot said it looked to him that Cardinal Dolan was joking in the back of the bus. Today, Scot said they had a group photo and George was able to take a photo of them before the very serious moments in the Sistine Chapel. George said Cardinal Dolan was very jovial and he thinks another man there was the cardinal’s brother. Scot said the back story is that this man is wearing jeans because the cardinal’s brother’s luggage had been lost. Meanwhile Cardinal Seán was, if not serious, deeply in the moment because he understands the import of what he’s doing. Scot described him as intense. It’s an important day and a heavy vote. It will be a long day too. Scot said he also liked another photo of a man holding a homemade sign calling for Pope Francis I. He also captured photos of a Swiss Guard being playful with some kids. They talked about the beauty of the art and architecture and the beauty of the faith of the people praying in those buildings. It makes it easy to capture the intensity they’re feeling in that moment.

Summary of today’s show: Continuing our live coverage from Rome, Scot Landry talks with a group of pilgrims from Buffalo, New York, who happened to be in the city at this time and asks them about being on pilgrimage in the Eternal City and maybe getting to be there for the announcement of a new pope. Scot is also joined by Kathryn Lopez of National Review and Catholic Voices USA to discuss how the press is covering the event and how Catholics can use the occasion to talk to others about their Catholic faith. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Kathryn Lopez, Fr. Jim Fugle, Deacon Mike McKeating, Patty Hughes, Caroline Weber, Edward Siudak, Pat Jaramillo, Pauline Turski, Lorraine Ulrich, Sue Denz, Mark Vilardo, Meredith Vilardo Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome on Flickr Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube All of our coverage of the Papal Transition Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome: Kathryn Lopez of National Review and Catholic Voices USA; Pilgrims from Buffalo 1st segment: SCot welcomed everyone to the show. He said it’s likely we’ll have a new pope by the end of this week. The cardinals had their last general congregation and will be packing to move into Domus Santa Martae. Tomorrow they will have a Mass and then process into the Sistine Chapel where they will swear their oaths. They will hear a meditation and then take a vote. Scot said tonight he will be presenting Catholic Faith Essentials at http://www.bostoncatholiclive.com and http://www.yearoffaith.org. He said George Martell has some great photos today. (See the link above.) Scot’s blog today asks the question “Who is Cardinal Seán?” Scot said most of our guests today are pilgrims from the Buffalo area. 2nd segment: Scot welcomed Kathryn Lopez of National Review. She said she just arrived in Rome and noticed a lot of difference from the last time she was there in December. National Review Catholic Voices USA K-Lo @ Large Scot asked Kathryn what she makes of all the hoopla over the American papabile. She said a month ago that there was an unwritten rule that an American couldn’t be elected. She said she’s from New York, so there’s a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry over Cardinals Dolan and O’Malley. She said what she hears about Cardinal Seán is how visibly and dramatically countercultural he is in his simple Franciscan habit as well as the turnaround in Boston. Scot said he loved the line from Cardinal Dolan who said he had a better chance of taking A Rod’s place at third base than becoming pope. Scot said George Martell got a wonderful photo of all the cardinals on the bus. Kathryn said she’s writing daily for the National Review. She said George Weigel’s book, Evangelical Catholicism had great timing and it was like a blueprint for how to handle this whole process. The press conference by the American cardinals last week brought the Church in her truth to the media that was hungry to report all things Catholic. Scot said it’s a general good way to engage fallen-away Catholics as well as practicing Catholics. He said a lot of the secular media in town are interviewing people of faith who happen to be in Rome. Kathryn said the American cardinals have a lot of experience with institutional reform, which has been a big topic. Scot asked Kathryn what principles she would encourage everyone to know when talking about this conclave from her perspective as a part of Catholic Voices USA. She said CV is about having conversations in the public square in a Catholic way. She said many people are confronted by others who question them about their faith now that it’s in all the news. How to Defend the Faith Without Raising Your Voice: Civil Responses to Catholic Hot Button Issues She said if you’re not sure where to start when talking about your faith, pick up this book and pick up the Catechism. Scot said in 3 to 4 days someone will stand on the balcony and we’ll know who the next pope will be. This is not a hopeless period, just a popeless period. They predicted how long the conclave will last. Scot predicted that it will be about 4 days. 3rd segment: Scot Landry said he’s talking to a large pilgrimage from the Buffalo area right outside St. Peter’s Square. He welcomed Fr. Jim Fugle and Deacon Mike Keating. Fr. Jim talked about the stops that the pilgrims had made and then said the journey began last June when he was asked to lead the group. He said it’s very humbling, especially during this time of the papal transition. Scot said millions of priests have walked the streets of Rome. He asked what they’re taking away so far that he knows he’ll preach about back home. He said each place they’ve visited has touched him in a different way. The Scavi tour was exceptionally moving to him as was climbing the Holy Steps on his knees, seeing the relics of the crucifixion, being at the tombs of Peter and Paul on the same day. Scot said the Scavi is the excavations of the necropolis or cemetery underneath St. Peter’s where St. Peter is buried. Fr. Jim said that as soon as he saw the grave of St. Peter his heart leaped. It was the same in the San Clemente chapel. They ended up just feet away from the bones of the Apostle Peter. Deacon Mike said it gives him a sense of being part of the universal Church. He said the crowd has grown each day since last Monday and you literally see people from every country in the world, and their cardinals and bishops. He said the length of time it took to choose the date for the conclave was partly because of how long it took all 115 cardinals to get to Rome. Scot said Buffalo has a long Catholic history, but nothing compared to Rome where churches have been around for 1,800 years in some cases. Deacon Mike said an old church in the US is about 150 years old. He said the oldest church in Buffalo would be a new church in Rome. He said the current church of San Clemente was built in the 300s and there are older churches underneath it. Santa Maria in Trastevere is the oldest church, built in the 1st century. He said one of the reasons for the declaration of the Immaculate Conception was it’s depiction from antiquity on the murals of Santa Maria. Fr. Jim said he hopes the pilgrims will draw closer to Chris and draw others to Christ by living everything that they’ve absorbed in this pilgrimage. He said he will take away the conviction that no matter what happens, Jesus remains with us as our friend. In response to Scot’s question, Deacon Mike said he’s not leaving Rome until he sees the announcement of the new pope. 4th segment: Scot welcomed Patty Hughes and Carolyn Weber. Patty said being in St. Peter’s was overwhelming and realized that this is the Catholic Church. St. Peter is buried there and this church was built on top of him. This really brought home her Catholic faith to her. Carolyn said St. John Lateran stood out to her, especially the relics. Scot said St. John Lateran is the pope’s own cathedral and it’s one of his favorite churches. Carolyn said an English-speaking priest there gave them a tour of the church. Scot asked them what people should know about the Scavi tour. Patty said she was surprised how paganism and Christianity were mixed together in early Rome. Carolyn said the frescoes in the tombs were ancient and were incredible. Patty said on her pilgrimage she’d like to visit Assisi, but being in Rome now means they could be there for the pope’s selection and that would be the best thing. 5th segment: Scot welcomed Edward Siudak and Pat Jaramillo. Edward said he’s been to Rome before but there’s always something new to see when you visit. He loves to visit the churches. His favorite is St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. He said two churches in the Buffalo diocese are copies of the basilica. Pat said she last come to Rome in 2000 for the Jubilee Year. She walked to the top of the dome of St. Peter’s this time which was great. She on this trip she’s just soaking in all the details she missed before. Her favorite part of St. Peter’s is the Eucharistic adoration. She goes to adoration back at Christ the King parish in Buffalo and this one is so beautiful and quiet and prayerful. 6th segment: Scot now welcomes Pauline Turski who’s in Rome for the first time. She said she’s been preparing for six months with daily prayer. Scot asked her what makes her so emotional about being in Rome. She said she’s named after St. Paul and he was a wonderful evangelist. She said St. Paul Outside-the-Walls is her favorite church. Scot asked her about the sacrifices to make to get on a pilgrimage to Rome. Pauline said the Holy Spirit made everything come together so she could be there. 7th segment: Scot welcomed Lorraine Uhrich and Sue Denz. Lorraine said her favorite part of the pilgrimage is being there with that group of people. Scot asked what it’s like to be there with 20 people she may or may not know. Lorraine said she’s been to Rome by herself and this time with a group of family and both were great. She said there’s nothing wrong with going with strangers because you get to know them. Sue said her husband is the one who organized the tour because he wanted to go to Rome. Scot said they’ve packed the itinerary and seen much of Rome already. Sue said they’ve switched a few things around to stay close to St. Peter’s for the conclave. They’re supposed to be going to Assisi and Florence and other side trips. They stil have to see St. Cecilia and St. Mary Major in Rome. Sue said her two favorite parts of the trip so far are seeing the bones of St. Peter and realizing how large the Latin inscriptions inside St. Peter’s are. Lorraine said she loved seeing St. Peter’s bones, but also the cloister at St. Paul Outside-the-Walls with an amazing collection of relics, including the arm of St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. Sue said it’s unbelievable that they’re in Rome at this time by chance. They started planning a year ago. Lorraine said the timing was so special. 8th segment: Scot welcomed Mark and Meredith Villardo. He said Meredith’s mom works at the Station of the Cross network and she said it sounds like a great place to work. Scot asked Mark how it is to be in Rome in their first year of marriage. He said it’s like a second honeymoon. He said they are expecting their first child in July. Meredith said her favorite part of being in Rome is being with her husband this time (she’s been once before). Scot asked what their favorite place is so far. Mark said he studied in Rome as an undergraduate and used to walk through St. Peter’s Square every day to class and he has an appreciation for its beauty. He said the colonnade is like the embracing arms of the Church. Meredith said the loved St. Paul’s especially all the pictures of the popes around the interior church. Mark said they’re excited by the conclave. He said they saw a bunch of the cardinals as they went to the Scavi tour. He said it’s been an exciting time and they’ve been praying for the cardinals and for the new pope. Meredith said this Lent she’s been letting God’s will reign in her life and she’s peaceful about what’s going to happen even down to whether they’ll be in Rome for the announcement.

Summary of today’s show: Continuing our live coverage from Rome, Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Roger Landry to discuss how the cardinals will be discerning who they will choose to be the next pope; Fr. Chris O’Connor and Mary Jo Kriz to reflect on being pilgrims in Rome at this time and on their pilgrimage in honor of Blessed John Paul II; Fr. Dennis Gill on Pope Benedict’s legacy through his emphasis on the liturgy as a catechism of our faith; and Lisa Hughes of WBZ-TV on how the Boston news station plans to cover the conclave. Also, a series of reflections from those involved in The Good Catholic Life on it’s two-year anniversary. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Dennis Gill, Mary Jo Kriz, Fr. Chris O’Connor, Fr. Roger Landry, Lisa Hughes Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome at BostonCatholicPhotos.com Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube.com Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome: Conclave date set; In the Footsteps of John Paul II; Liturgy as Catechism; Two-Year Anniversary 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show coming from Rome. It’s our two-year anniversary show. He welcomed Fr. Roger Landry to the show. Scot said the Vatican press office had announced earlier today that the date for the conclave would be set today. Fr. Roger said that focuses the attention of the cardinals on their immediate preparations to whittle down their lists for who they will vote for on the first ballot. It helps us to expedite our own prayers to help them in their discernment. Every Catholic has a role to play in asking the Holy Spirit to guide them Scot said Cardinal Seán had said he’d hoped the cardinals would choose to spend as much time as they needed in the general congregations to discern who they would vote for. Fr. Roger said he thinks the cardinals will pray for a way to discern out of 115 potential candidates the one choice. They have to get beyond the acquaintance stage to really get to know one another so they are comfortable entrusting the future of the Catholic Church to one man. They’re looking for someone to teach, to sanctify, and to govern. Fr. Roger has been in Rome for four days now. Scot asked him what he’s been up to. Fr. Roger said for EWTN he was filming a lot of small segments connecting Church history with the present conclave. Much of the churches of Rome provide the context for the papacy. He shows the meaning of the things that we all see, like the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square, the façade, the statue of Christ, the inscriptions regarding St. Peter in the building. He said the Altar of the Chair has an inscription that “You the Shepherd of the Sheep, Shepherd the Sheep of God,” which is actually directed to Jesus as the True Shepherd by the Pope. Fr. Roger asks listeners to pray that the Holy Spirit to give the cardinals the light whom they should choose and then to give them patience. The process is long and stressful with two votes in morning and then afternoon. We should also pray that whomever is elected that we can embrace as Peter’s successor and Christ’s Vicar, even if we don’t really know him yet. Trust in God’s work through the cardinals and follow him. Scot said a lot has been made in the media about the clash of cultures between the American cardinals sharing in the media versus the curial cardinals who didn’t like it. Does that signal a long conclave? Fr. Roger thinks it will be a conclave. After the first few days of voting, they will pause for a day of meditation. He thinks no cardinal will get more than a handful of votes in the first few ballots and it will take time to whittle them down. But we can be assured that there will be a pope eventually on that balcony. Scot asked Fr. Roger what he would say about the importance of Catholic radio. Fr. Roger said Catholic radio helps us to live the good Catholic life. It’s not enough just to know the truth, but how to live it. Each Thursday, when he’s on the show, we look at the news headlines through Catholic lenses. Sometimes it’s bad news, sometimes it’s great news. Regardless when we look at the news with the eyes of faith, there’s always hope. The Lord is always trying to bring good out of evil. It’s been a great joy for him to examine current events through Catholic lenses on this show. 2nd segment: Scot welcomes Fr. Chris O’Connor back to the show. He said Fr. Chris celebrated a Mass at the tomb of Bl. John Paul II. He said he is half-Polish and he is full of joy to see the good that this native son of Poland has done for the world. To be at the tomb of this holy man is to be inspired. It makes you want to deepen your prayer life. Scot said more than half of the popes are buried in St. Peter’s but John Paul’s tomb is special to us. Fr. Chris said he called us to a greater sense of holiness and a greater respect for human life. He recalled an anecdote in which Mikhail Gorbachev called John Paul II the moral authority in the world today. Fr. Chris said he was stubborn in the best sense of the word and bulldozed through any obstacles placed in the way of freedom for his homeland. He had great confidence in Christ giving him the strength to overcome the scourge of communism. Scot noted that when John Paul was shot in St. Peter’s Square, he turned to the Blessed Mother. He asked Fr. Chris what he saw in Poland that exemplified that devotion. He said the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa is a sign of the country’s identity and devotion. The Poles are extremely devoted to her and every August millions of them walk dozens or hundreds of miles in pilgrimage to her shrine. In a period waiting for the conclave, Scot asked Fr. Chris about wanting to have the next pope be of such quality that he is called “The Great” immediately after he goes home to God someday, just like with John Paul in 2005. Fr. Chris said as they’ve walked around Rome the last few days, people have engaged in the guessing game, but his sense is that whoever walks out on the balcony we’re all going to embrace and love. Scot asked Fr. Chris about his favorite moments participating in the show the past two years. He said he’s impressed by the number of people who tell him they listen to the program and find it rewarding. He said he admires and respects the work Scot is doing to get the Catholic message out. Fr. Chris said it’s like we’re holding conferences every day with incredible topics. He said you’re always hearing people share their faith and how it’s impacted their lives. Scot said one of the moving moments for him was Fr. Chris sharing how he visits Norfolk state prison and hears how many men there listen to the show. Scot said he heard from a firefighter who plays the show in the firehouse and turns it up to help evangelize his brother and sister firefighters. Fr. Chris said of the men in Norfolk that many of them are saints. He hears from them that this is another resource for their faith. Christ said “when I was in prison, you visited me” and “when I was sick you visited with me” and Catholic media is a way of doing that. Scot asked Fr. Chris’ hope for the Church with this opportunity to share with others in this media scrutiny. Fr. Chris said the Church has a long tradition and people will see that in the coming days, the grandiosity and beauty of Rome. In the midst of the chaos of the Church, we can witness that we are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Jesus governs the Church through its visible head, the Pope. The Church can be seen to pray together in Masses. She is apostolic through the many trips of the pope throughout the world. We are catholic by the diversity of cardinals coming to Rome and the pilgrims see in the city. The media will focus on the power of the papacy, but we focus on the service of the papacy, which serves us in every way. Scot said we can see the disagreements in the Church and the different cultures, with an example in the different approaches to the media by the different groups of cardinals. Christ called us to love one another and we do see that love ultimately despite the differences. Fr. Chris said it’s a blessing to be in Rome to see it all play out. The Church is like any human family, with strengths and weaknesses. He has the conviction that whomever walks out on that balcony, we will embrace him with great joy. We trust the decision is made by the cardinals with the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. 3rd segment: Scot welcomed Mary Jo Kriz, who’s been part of the St. John Seminary Master of Arts in Ministry pilgrimage in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II. Mary Jo said it’s been an amazing time. She said today they had a beautiful Mass at the altar of Bl. John Paul II with Fr. Chris O’Connor, Fr. Jonathan Gaspar and Fr. Eric Bennett. The message was to “be not afraid” in this time of transition. Scot said it was clear in Fr. Chris’ homily how close he was to John Paul and many of us feel the same. Mary Jo said praying by the tomb made her feel like he was there. She met him in 1995 in Rome and she had the same feeling again. Scot said more than half of all the popes are buried in St. Peter’s and that makes it awesome to pray in that place. John Paul leaves a great legacy for the Church. For those who haven’t been to Rome, he asked her to sum up what it means to be in Rome. She said they had the opportunity to pray Vespers in Assisi and before that with the cardinals in St. Peter’s. No matter where we go in the world, it’s the same prayers and the same Mass. The Lord affirmed her faith. If you can get to Rome, you will feel at home. Scot asked Mary Jo about a story of a family member who was stunned to hear her voice on the radio yesterday. She’s originally from Buffalo and a family member from the area sent her an email saying she turned on the Catholic radio station there and heard her voice. That’s the power of Catholic radio. Scot said when people tell him they hear the show, he asks them how often they listen. Some heard it while surfing the dial and others don’t miss it. He asked Mary Jo if she’s disappointed that the election of the pope didn’t occur while she was there and she agreed she was, but Providence provides. 4th segment: Scot welcomes Fr. Dennis Gill, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and a former professor at the North American College. He said he is a professor of liturgy but is also an expert in the conclave. He said he has no idea when it will start, but it appears the cardinals are taking the preparation time very seriously. Scot asked if he thought it would be a short conclave. Fr. Gill said he thinks it will go quickly because the cardinals have had this lengthy preparation time and they will know early on the man they think should be the Vicar of Christ. Scot asked his hopes for the focus on liturgy. Fr. Gill said it will take years for us to assess the affect that Pope Benedict had on the liturgy. He has a profound understanding of the liturgy as a divine event. He brought new light to a reading of Sacrosanctum concilium and his writing has helped clarify and reorient the Sacred Liturgy and that will endure. He thinks the next Holy Father will have to continue what Pope Benedict has done, which is an ongoing presentation of what the Vatican Council did. He said much of what Pope Benedict said and did was not fully accepted worldwide and so he hopes the next Holy Father will be even more proactive. Scot said the liturgy teaches us so much about our faith. Fr. Gill said the liturgy is the principal catechism of the Church, in the way it’s celebrated as well as its content in the prayers and Biblical content. It’s important to highlight the liturgy in this Year of Faith. 5th segment: Scot welcomed Lisa Hughes of WBZ-TV to the show. He asked her how she got this assignment. She said she got very lucky. She was there when Cardinal Seán was made a cardinal. Scot asked what it’s like to cover a story in Rome versus a story in Boston. She said the Internet connection isn’t as good, the streets are a bit more mysterious to them, but there’s something so exciting in being there, hearing the languages and the excitement. The Vatican is the epicenter of it all. Scot said it’s like a journalist convention with more than 5,000 credentialed. Lisa said they see cameras everywhere they go. She said they went to Gammarelli, which is the tailor that makes the pope’s vestments, and there were already many cameras there, and she’s sure there will be many more wherever they go. It is such a big city that they’re not on top of each other yet. Lisa said their reports will start airing Sunday night during the 6:30 broadcast, and when the conclave starts they will be on live on the 5 and 6pm shows Monday through Friday and live whenever the announcement comes. Scot said as we close the show that he is happy to relay the news that the date for the conclave has been set by the cardinals to begin on Tuesday, March 12. He asked everyone to redouble their prayers for them as a group and to pray for the man who is elected who is taking on a significant ministry of service. Scot reflected on being host of the show for the past two years.

Summary of today’s show: On a day without much news from the College of Cardinals, Scot Landry took the opportunity to take part of the Station Church tradition and visit the Basilica of Ss. Cosmas and Damian for Mass and then to interview Worcester seminarian Donato Infante, Fr. Norman Tanner, SJ, and Br. Mark McBride, TOR, in which he learned about the twin doctors to whom the church is dedicated and the fact that Masses have been celebrated there every day since 525AD. Then Scot spoke to Terry Donilon, Cardinal Seán’s spokesman, about how the media is covering the interregnum and especially letting the world get to know Cardinal Seán. And finally, he talks to a group of pilgrims from St. John’s Seminary’s Master of Arts in Ministry program who are following in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II from Poland to Italy. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Donato Infante, Fr. Norman Tanner, Br. Mark McBride, Terry Donilon, Fr. Chris O’Connor, Mary Jo Kriz, Aldona Lingertat, Beth Joyce Links from today’s show: George Martell’s photos from Rome on Flickr Scot Landry’s video updates from Rome on YouTube Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome: Station Church of Ss. Cosmas and Damian; Seminarian and Priest; Cardinal Seán’s spokesman; Pilgrims from Boston 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show. It’s been a slow news day thus far in Rome as the cardinals are in a silent period. So instead Scot participated in the ancient Roman tradition during Lent of visiting the station churches. This practice dates to the fourth century and involves visiting 40 different churches in Rome during the 40 days of Lent. Each morning priests and seminarians from the North American College lead English-speaking pilgrims in Rome to the station church for Mass at 7am. George and Scot met with a group of about 50 seminarians at 6:15am at the bottom on the Janiculum hill and made the 35 minute walk to the basilica of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. It’s next the Roman Forum. Station Churches Pontifical North American College Basilica of Sts. Cosmas and Damian The journey along the streets is silent by rule of the seminary. It’s moving to walk through the quiet streets of Rome at that hour and see most of the seminarians praying the Rosary. Today, there were about 40 concelebrating priests, 60 seminarians and 60 others in this small, but beautiful basilica, which was consecrated a church in the year 535. There has been a Mass there everyday since. Then played of the sounds of chant from the Mass. 2nd segment: Scot was joined by seminarian from the Diocese of Worcester, Donato Infante. Donato said the tradition of the station churches began in the early centuries of Christianity where the Bishop of Rome visited each of the churches of his diocese during Lent. Sometime in history the tradition stopped in the 1970s, the North American College revived tradition and other colleges in the city started doing the same. Scot noted that nobody spoke while walking from the NAC. Donato said the faculty explicitly encourages them to take the walk as a time to pray to make it a pilgrimage to the churches. Scot asked him what he likes about the station churches. Donato said many of the churches are beautiful and have the tombs of many of the saints in the Roman Canon of the Mass. To go to their tombs is a wonderful pilgrimage and a great way to celebrate Lent. Others who attend are priests on sabbatical at the Casa Santa Mariae and faculty and students at universities in Rome. Scot asked if he has a favorite church. Donato said San Clemente is his favorite because of the mosaic in the apse that is very old. He said a quarter of the seminarians go more than a couple of times per week, most go occasionally and they all go on Ash Wednesday to Santa Sabina as that’s the required community Mass. More music and prayer from the Mass is now played. 3rd segment: Scot now welcomed Fr. Norman Tanner, a professor at the Gregorian University from Great Britain. Scot asked about the number of churches in Rome and their significance. Fr. Tanner said it’s a very ancient custom and Rome has 40 ancient churches which are station churches. Fr. Tanner said the 7am Mass is a perfect time to get in before their first 8:30am Mass. Scot asked about Saints Cosmas and Damian. He said they were martyrs of the early church and are mentioned in the 1st Eucharistic Prayer. They were both medical doctors and surgeons. Scot asked about the Gregorian. Fr. Tanner said many of the NAC seminarians and newly ordained study there. It was founded in 1554, two years before the death of St. Ignatius and it’s been a work of the Society of Jesus. There are about 2,500 students from almost all countries of the world. Fr. Tanner said as a church historian it’s a unique privilege to be in Rome. The history of the Church helps in the study for the priesthood to understand the Christians of the past, like Cosmas and Damian. More prayer from the Mass. 4th segment: Scot welcomes Br. Mark McBride, who works at St. Cosmas and Damian Basilica. He asked him how today compared to the Sunday liturgies. Brother said it’s not a parish church and so serve tourists and those with devotion to Cosmas and Damian. This day in Lent is special for the church. It has special Masses, including a special Mass in the evening with their titular cardinal. They have had English, German, and French groups come in for Mass and then their principal Mass would be in the evening at which the relics of the saints would be exposed for veneration. Scot said many people might not know much about those saints. Br. McBride said they were doctors in Syria and martyred in 313 AD. People who admired them had great devotion to them and built two major basilicas for them, one in Rome and one in Constantinople. When Constantinople fell, so did the church. So the one in Rome is the remaining sanctuary. The two were twin brothers and they received no money for their services. When questioned by the Romans why they didn’t charge for their services, they said they did it for the Lord and so were martyred. In later centuries, people came to the basilica to pray for cures from their ailments. People from the East still come, many from Russia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the crypt. The church was a part of a former Roman library built in 77 AD. It was used that way until 525 when the library was given to Pope Felix who converted it to a church. Pope Gregory the Great in the 600s had a major devotion to the saints there and to the Madonna della Salute, Our Lady of Good Health, which is also in the church. Mass has been said in the church every day since 525. Only a few other churches can boast such longevity. Scot said the relics of Ss. Cosmas and Damian are in the lower church. Br. McBride noted that the lower church or Crypt Church was not the lower level at first, but was ground level in the 6th century. In the 1600s, the basilica was cut horizontally which made it two churches. The lower church contained the relics of the saints as brought back to Rome by Pope Gregory. Scot said Br. McBride is originally from the San Francisco area. He asked him what led him to become a Franciscan and how did he come to Rome. Br. McBride said as a child he had a great devotion to the Franciscans, especially after studying the life of St. Francis. The pastor of his parish spoke of the TOR, Third Order Regular, Franciscans and he sought them out. He is not a priest, but a consecrated religious. From there he worked in their high school in the Philadelphia archdiocese for 20 years, then worked as provincial treasurer in the United States. From there he became general treasurer of the whole order which is headquartered at Ss. Cosmas and Damian. Since coming to Rome, he has been made superior of the friary which has friars from around the world. He said many Americans will know the TORs because they sponsor Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and St. Francis College in Loreto, Pennsylvania. They also have parishes in Florida and Texas. Living in Rome is at times it’s an incredible feeling to the point it’s not even believable. To live at the church where St. Francis must have once prayed is incredible. The feeling of being in a room where millions of prayers have been offered is sometimes hard to even believe. You almost sense in the air that this is ancient. This is hard for Americans to grasp. The doorknobs of the church were made in 1400, centuries before America was founded. The choir stalls are from the 1600s. But because it looks so nice, it’s hard to imagine they’re so old. It makes him feel Catholic, a religion that knows no nationality, no single background. Scot asked how being situated right by the Colosseum and Forum impact the number of visitors who come to the church or the experience of praying there. Fr. McBride said they are in the Ancient District of Rome, at the feet of the Palatine Hill. That’s where Rome was founded and became the center of the world for hundreds of years. Because it’s ancient and you can see the development of peoples from all the oldest periods of Rome, all blending together. To be there at the church, you are at the point of convergence of all those periods of time. In the church it’s the same, kneeling and praying in a place that goes back to a time before Christianity. When it was a library, it was a place dedicated to medicine and there is a sense of continuity, a sense of ever-old, ever-young. Today, they’re looking at making the basilica a center for bioethics to continue that idea. Scot asked Br. McBride’s perspective on the papal transition today. He said the ancient basilica reminds us that this isn’t the first conclave. He describes this moment as a time of grace. Christ has promised us a Church. We believe what the cardinals are doing is no accident. We believe whoever the cardinals choose will be the successor of Peter. The Church isn’t a museum. It lives and renews itself, renews itself with a new leader. Br. McBride said they don’t have favorites in the conclave, but they would of course love to see a Franciscan pope. They’re waiting to see how the Holy Spirit works through the choice that is made. The new Pope is elected for a reason. He compared the interregnum to Lent and awaiting Easter. More prayer from the Mass. 5th segment: Scot Landry, reporting now from the Borgo Pio near the Vatican, welcomes Terry Donilon, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, to the show. Scot asked Terry what Rome is like now in this anticipation. Terry said it feels like a celebration waiting to happen. There have been long lines waiting to get into St. Peter’s, people milling about in the Square, attending the Holy Hour last night with the cardinals. He gets a sense that people are in an anticipatory state. Scot noted Cardinal Seán did a lot of media interviews earlier this week and the American cardinals gained praise from around the world for their transparency. But as of yesterday there won’t be further press conferences as the cardinals decided not to speak. He asked Terry what the cardinal’s key themes were. Terry said the cardinal felt it would be good to take the time in the Congregations to assess the other cardinals so when conclave began he knew who he would vote for. The cardinal was very aware of the immense decision he and the other cardinals would be about to make. The cardinal is in a deep prayerful state right now to prepare for that. Scot said more than 5,000 journalists have already been credentialed, including most from Boston. Why are they coming? Terry said Boston is a heavily Catholic community and the local news recognizes that this is important to the 1.8 million Catholics in the archdiocese. It’s an opportunity to see this rare transition in the Church. All the major networks and affiliates and newspapers are present and have invaded Rome. Scot said many in the media were complimenting the American cardinals on how they were more open about process and other items they could talk about. That seems to be different from the culture of the Church in the rest of the world. Terry said the US Church believes in transparency. The cardinal finds an opportunity to talk to the people back in Boston. The rest of the world is slow to pick up on that. He also noted that the rest of the Church in the world hasn’t reached the same level of the use of digital media and technology. There isn’t a diocese in the world that brought the same level of expertise and assets to communicate back to the people in the archdiocese. The cardinal said before he left Boston that there is a responsibility to report back to the people what can be reported. It’s unfortunate that the level of communication has changed but there were reports in the Italian press that made a lot of people take pause, although it wasn’t anything that came from the American cardinals. Scot asked Terry his impression of the city, things you might not see elsewhere. Scot noted that the city rises late in the morning. He added that a lot of people come to visit St. Peter’s and it’s one of the best people-watching spots in the world. Terry said you see lots of priests and religious in great numbers walking the streets, seeing religious photos and items on display everywhere and clear signs that people are proud of their Catholic faith. He notes that many people speak English and he feels that more people speak English now than when he was in Rome in the late 90s. Terry said the story is building toward the conclave. The media is analyzing the top contenders for pope, although the college of cardinals has a way of surprising us. He said he’s working to bring a Boston flair and focus top the coverage back home. It’s a major story and recognition of the pope’s influence on world affairs. Scot said the three main questions he gets from people when they know he’s from Boston are: When’s the conclave going to start? Who does he think the next pope will be? Does Cardinal Seán have a chance? What other questions are Terry getting? Terry said people want to know who Cardinal Seán really is. He’s given the world a glimpse of who he really is. In Boston, he’s well known, but the outside world is getting a glimpse of him and of the Archdiocese of Boston. Terry thinks the world is getting a chance to celebrate the hard work that has been done in Boston by the priests, religious, and laity of the archdiocese. People think Cardinal Seán is interesting because he stands out from the other cardinals and has had an influence through his work in the sexual abuse crisis but also his emphasis on the New Evangelization. Terry said no one realistically thinks Cardinal Seán will be elected despite his qualifications and when he returns home after being celebrated so much, it will be a little surreal. At the worst, it opens the eyes of the world that the cardinals and bishops in America are doing good work on behalf of the Church and may open the door for a future American cardinal being elected pope. 6th segment: Scot, reporting from outside St. Peter’s Square, welcomed a pilgrimage group from the Master of Arts in Ministry program at St. John’s Seminary, including Fr. Chris O’Connor, Mary Jo Kriz, and Beth Joyce. He asked Mary Jo about the first part of their trip in Poland and what people should see on a pilgrimage there. She said Our Lady of Czestochowa was great but everything there, especially the people whose faith shines through in their daily life. The Divine Mercy chapel was perhaps the best. Scot noted they are tracing the footsteps of Pope John Paul II. He asked Fr. Chris where else they have visited. Fr. Chris said they went to Auschwitz, where even there they saw a glimmer of hope in the tomb of St. Maximilian Kolbe. You feel John Paul’s presence in the city of Krakow, where he was born. He said there are more than 6,000 public statues of John Paul throughout Poland. You can feel his presence in that country. Scot asked Beth about the great faith of the people of Poland under oppression. He asked her about these salt mines in which the people had carved cavernous churches underground complete with altars and statues. Wieliczka Salt Mine Beth said the common people went down deep in to the earth to carve these beautiful reminders of our Lord. She said it shows the faith that permeates Poland. Scot asked Aldona Lingertat about their itinerary in Rome for the days that they are there. She said today they were going on a walking tour of Rome, including Mass in St. Peter’s. They walked throughout the basilica and in the afternoon for the Scavi tour. The next day they were to go to Assisi, ending with Vespers in the chapel of San Damiano. On Friday, they were to visit the basilicas and more of the city, plus Mass at the tomb of Pope John Paul II. She’s been to Rome three times. Her favorite part is being steeped in the faith all around her in Rome. Scot noted that it’s Beth’s third trip to Rome, but the first time since her son started studying at the North American College. He asked her how it’s different this time. She said came at Christmas to see her son and it’s a great blessing that he’s studying in Rome for the priesthood. Scot said Cardinal Seán says that vocations are everyone’s business. He asked Beth what she did in her household that helped plant the seed for her son Kevin. When she realized her faith is a gift, she wanted to share it and wanted to communicate it to her child. She said the lives of the saints are great to share with them from a very early age because they were real people and they made it look possible to follow Jesus. Scot noted that originally the pilgrimage was to be at the General Audience, so he asked Aldona what it was like to be in Rome during the sede vacante. Aldona said the Vatican Post Office issues a special stamp during the sede vacante and she bought some for herself. These will be very rare. She was interviewed by Italian TV when she bought them. It’s a unique moment in time and the Holy Spirit is at work. She said her hope is that the new pope will be holy, prayerful and humble like our two previous popes. Also someone who is strong and courageous. Scot asked Fr. Chris what he hopes people take away from these pilgrimages to Rome. He said the long tradition and history of preaching the Gospel and proclaiming Christ Jesus. There is a hopefulness in the sede vacante with the knowledge of the continuity of the Church.

Summary of today’s show: Continuing our coverage from Rome, Scot Landry talks with Fr. Roger Landry about celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the early morning, the latest developments as the College of Cardinals continue their daily meetings, and what criteria he thinks the cardinals are using to discern who they will vote for to become the next pope. Then Scot is joined by Francesco Cesareo, president of Assumption College in Worcester, who just opened a Rome campus and who gave his impressions of where the Church is heading in this time of transition. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, Francesco Cesareo, George Martell Links from today’s show: Assumption College George Martell’s photos from Rome Scot’s daily YouTube updates Today’s topics: Latest Developments LIVE from Rome; Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s; Criteria for the Next Pope; Assumption College in Rome 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Roger Landry to the show. Fr. Roger is in Rome to provide expert commentary for EWTN and others. Scot said he and Fr. Roger rose early this morning to go to St. Peter’s where Fr. Roger celebrate Mass. Fr. Roger said he spent his first year as a priest in Rome and was a guide in St. Peter’s Basilica and his tomb, so anytime he has a chance to celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s is a great thrill for him. It brings him back to his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith. Scot asked how it works for a Mass to celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s. Fr. Roger said usually a priest has to show a document that shows he’s in good standing to celebrate Mass in another diocese, but at St. Peter’s if the priest speaks Italian and appears to know what he’s doing, he’s given the benefit of the doubt. But any priest can walk into the sacristy and ask to say Mass. They have many altars and the appropriate books in many other languages. They are brought out to one of the available altars and today they were brought to the altar of the Sacred Heart. Scot said this altar is to the left of the main altar. Fr. Roger said you can always request a particular altar if it’s free, but today he just let them choose it for him. He said his preferred altar is that of Pope St. Leo the Great to whom Fr. Roger has a special devotion. Scot said he loves when traveling to Rome is get in St. Peter’s by 6:45am so he can be there before it becomes what he calls a “holy museum”. At 7am it is used for what it was mainly built for, which is to be a house of prayer. Fr. Roger said Jesus said His Father’s house must be a house of prayer and so that time between 7 and 9 in the morning when only Mass is allowed is what it is. Tours and tourists aren’t allowed in that time. Fr. Roger said in 2000, whenever Pope John Paul II was having an event in St. Peter’s Square, the church was empty and so Fr. Roger would come in by a back door and many times he was the only priest in the basilica. Every time he returns to the basilica those sentiments from the beginning of his priesthood come flooding back. Scot asked how someone who happens to be in Rome might be able to find a Mass at St. Peter’s at 7am. Fr. Roger said many people wait outside the entrance to the sacristy and wait to see priests come out and ask, “Mass in English?” Or they could go into the outer sacristy and ask the sacristan at the desk if there was a Mass in English. Fr. Roger is a pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River, but he was asked by Raymond Arroyo of EWTN to come and be one of his three color commentators for all the events. They began their broadcasting earlier today with a prayer service with the cardinals at the basilica and every day until the first Mass of the new Holy Father. He’s also doing a lot of writing while in Rome for the Diocese of Fall River’s newspaper, The Anchor, as well as a daily column for the New Bedford Standard Times. He’s been asked to be on TV on some of the local Boston stations as well as some of the national networks for some ad hoc interviews so that people back home can understand what’s happening and so someone at home can be connected through him to the events in Rome. Scot said three events happened today. First, the cardinals met in their General Congregation this morning. They decided at that meeting that cardinals will not speak to the media or through their Twitter accounts or blogs until the end of the conclave. And then there was a prayer service at 5pm Rome time. Fr. Roger said the cardinals themselves are praying individually and as a body are praying. What they will be doing in the Sistine Chapel is primarily an act of discernment to determine who it is that God wants to be Benedict XVI’s successor. First they pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment, but also every Catholic has a similar responsibility to pray for the Holy Spirit to illumine the cardinals. The cardinals explicitly asked for our help. He said Pope Benedict in his weekly teachings this past year talked about the Church being in prayer together. The Church in every continent should be united in prayer asking for God to give us the successor to St. Peter. Scot said many of the Boston media will be arriving later this week, but with the lack of cardinals’ availability they will be looking for stories now. Scot asked Fr. Roger why he thinks there’s so much interest from secular media from around the world. Fr. Roger said he thinks most media organizations, whether conscious of it or not, recognize that the new pope isn’t just important to Catholics, but is enormously important to the whole world. He is the recognized moral leader of the world. In the midst of so much injustice and poverty, a holy pope makes a big difference in bringing justice, peace, and material and spiritual well-being to the world. Many commentators mentioned that it was Blessed John Paul II’s influence that led to the fall of Communism. He asked Fr. Roger what he thought Benedict’s non-religious contribution to the world was. Fr. Roger said he gave four tremendous addresses on the proper role of politics and religion in helping political deliberations guided by the light of the truth of the human person. Those were given in London, Berlin, and Washington, DC. It clarified for many statesmen what their vocation is. The second thing he will be credited for is his tremendous concern for the natural environment. He focused the lenses of the world on that issue and motivated many in the Church to take it seriously because previously many Catholics were turned off by the pantheistic tendencies in the Green movement. Scot said the work of the General Congregations continues. He asked what is happening as the cardinals prepare for the conclave. Fr. Roger said in these daily meetings, the cardinals have certain business of running the Church, then some speeches that are supposed to be five minutes and they share their thoughts about the real issues facing the Church. It’s also a time for certain figures to shine and others to fade a bit as cardinals whittle down the number of candidates to a few. Fr. Roger said the custom is that they will first listen to the elder cardinals, but any cardinal could speak even more than once. Anyone who wants to share his thoughts is permitted. It’s one of the reasons they are sworn to secrecy so they can pour out their hearts. This all continues until the date they set for the conclave to begin. The American cardinals said this week that one of the general topics is the issue of governance of the Vatican. Scot asked what other issues they’ll discuss. Fr. Roger said it will be the spreading of the Gospel in the context of secularism or official atheism or religious suppression; the explosive growth of the faith in developing nations; and how the Church will be most effective in caring out the mission Christ entrusted to us. All other issues are derivative of this issue. Scot asked how the list of papabile has evolved, both the public list and what the cardinals themselves might be thinking. Fr. Roger said in 2005 the list put together by pundits varied greatly from the list of those the cardinals themselves were talking about. This time, the pundits have most of the names that are being considered because the criteria this time are pretty clear in terms of who is needed. First, he has to a devout disciple and ardent apostle; affable and amiable; enthusiastic about proclaiming the Gospel; someone people could look to as a model of holiness. Fr. Roger said in any organization there are those who fully live it and those who fall short. He said he doesn’t think it will be a very shy person. They want someone who can explain the faith in ways most Catholics can grasp. Someone who has temper or anger issues probably wouldn’t be considered. It is the character of the man in his virtues and strengths to be looked at first. This is more important than his race or national origin. Second, he has to have many languages. Fr. Roger thinks he has to have Italian, English, Spanish, French. Scot asked how many speak those languages and Fr. Roger said about 40, most of them Europeans or biblical scholars. Among those 40, some would not have the other criteria. The third criterion is that he be physically vigorous, probably someone under 72. After John Paul’s illness and Benedict’s retirement and the brutal daily schedule, the next pope needs to be more vigorous. The fourth criterion is someone who is capable administratively of governing the Vatican and capable of creating a model for the Church and so someone who’s worked in a diocese someplace and demonstrated an effectiveness in those area. This follows on the various administrative scandals in the Vatican and so they want someone talented enough that he could choose the right collaborators and effectively carry out his governing duties so it wouldn’t suck up all of his time. Scot said these are fairly knowable characteristics, apart from the first one. So how many of the 115 cardinals based on these are serious candidates. Fr. Roger thinks there are 15 candidates who are likely to be chosen. Fr. Roger said it’s okay to root for someone you know who would be good provided it’s not excessive. We want to be able to cheer and be grateful for whomever the cardinals select. He noted that no one was rooting for Pope John Paul II and never even believed he could be chosen. He said there might be someone even better than the one we are rooting for. Fr. Roger will be live on EWTN starting at 2pm Eastern and re-aired each night at 9pm. 2nd segment: This week’s benefactor card raffle winner is Jeanne Clancy from Methuen She wins We Have A Pope! by Karen Congeni If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit WQOM.org. For a one-time $30 donation, you’ll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM’s weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We’ll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 3rd segment: Scot welcomed Francesco Cesareo, president of Assumption College, as they stood outside St. Peter’s Square. Francesco said the college just opened a new campus in Rome as a study abroad program. he said all students regardless of major will be able to come study there. They will be steeped in the history of the Church a few steps away from St. Peter’s. He said their hope is that the students will come home with a greater appreciation for their faith. Francesco gave a brief history of the college and a summary of the breadth of education and how they emphasize the formation of the whole human person. Scot noted that there are 11 colleges in Worcester. Francesco said the city has about 35,000 college students and offers many cultural, work, and educational opportunities for students. He said he’s been president for six years and talked about his priorities of re-focusing education on the liberal arts and to integrate into the Catholic intellectual tradition so students learn how to live out their faith in all aspects of their lives. Scot asked his sense of what it’s like to be in Rome this week. He said it’s a time for Catholics to come together and pray for the cardinals. What strikes him is the continuity of the life of the Church and how the Church has always gone through transitions. In those transitions the Church has focused on what is needed by the Church in this particular moment and the Holy Spirit gives to the Church the right man for the right time. The Church has gone through trials and always comes through stronger and formed in a way that makes the Church a true light in the world. Scot asked how the resignation of Benedict XVI changes things for the next Pope. Francesco said the open question is how one leads the Church when his predecessor is still living. Will it affect his decision-making when he decides to move in a way that is perceived as moving away from the emphasis of his predecessor. He said there hasn’t been a real papal resignation since Pope St. Celestine in 1294. It’s too early to tell what this resignation means. What it does is place an emphasis on the institution itself. It shows the work of the institution is greater than any one man. Francesco said he hopes that the next pope continues the emphasis on the New Evangelization in order to reverse the decline especially in the West. He hopes he will continue the liturgical reforms of Benedict because our liturgical life needs to be done with a sense of mystery and beauty. He hopes he will bring the message of the Gospel to all the ends of the earth, someone who’s visible and who excites the young people who are the life of the Church in a particular way. Francesco said the secular press looks at the Church from the lens they understand, which is secular governments, and so they focus a great deal of attention on governance of the Vatican, but the Holy Father’s principal duty is to be a teacher and shepherd of the flock. Francesco said he doesn’t think any American truly has a chance because the moral authority of the Holy Father could be compromised if he came from the United States. While there are some wonderful US cardinals, but the USA’s prominent position in the economic and political life of the world, it could compromise his ability to speak as he must. 4th segment: Scot welcomed George Martell to the show. George said it was awesome to return to St. Peter’s. He had been there with his wife a few years ago. Before Mass he was able to walk around and reminisce and take some special pictures from angles you can’t usually get and without any people in them. Many of the photos are available on BostonCatholicPhotos.com Scot reminded listeners in Boston that The Light Is On For You is tonight where every church and chapel will be open for confessions from 6 to 8:30pm. Check out: The Light Is On For You Pilot Parish Finder

Summary of today’s show: Scot Landry is coming to you LIVE from Rome today and in addition to an exclusive interview with Cardinal Seán O’Malley, he’s joined by Gregory Tracy, Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, and George Martell to discuss the latest news of the College of Cardinals and preparations for the upcoming papal conclave, including the reports from that cardinals that they’re spending their time getting to know one another so that when they enter the conclave, they’ll know who they want to vote for to become the next Pope. Listen to the show: Subscribe for free in iTunes Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: BostonCatholicLive.com Today’s host(s): Scot Landry Today’s guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot newspaper, Fr. Jonathan Gaspar, priest-secretary to Cardinal Seán, and George Martell of Pilot New Media Links from today’s show: The Good Catholic Life video, morning update on March 5 The Good Catholic Life video, afternoon update on March 5 Today’s topics: LIVE from Rome 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show and noted they arrived at 7:30am getting almost no sleep on their flight overnight from Boston to Rome. Greg Tracy noted how little sleep he’s gotten over the past week in Rome. Scot said today the College of Cardinals met this morning in their general congregation and they’re still waiting for a few more cardinals to arrive before they set a date for the conclave. Scot was able to talk to Cardinal Seán in the afternoon after a press conference at the Pontifical North American College. Cardinal Seán talked about being able to say goodbye to Pope Benedict and then taking part in the General Congregations to hear from cardinals around the world on the needs of the Church and the task at hand. Cardinal Seán talked about how he’s preparing for his vote by researching other cardinals. The talks this week are a good opportunity to meet with them and get to know them, especially those he doesn’t know personally. He does have firsthand knowledge of many of them. Scot asked Cardinal Seán how he deals with the buzz about him as a possible Pope. He said he thinks part of it is the great affection the Italians have for the Capuchin order. HE also asked the whole Church to be united in prayer for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to identify who God wants. He noted that past 150 years we’ve been blessed with wise, holy popes to serve the Church. Cardinal Seán said he’s been sticking to his Lenten diet and said it’s hard to get a bad meal in Rome. Back to the in-studio panel, Greg Tracy talked about how the Cardinal is using Google to do research on the other cardinals and how important it is to know every man in the conclave because any of them could be elected. Fr. Jonathan Gaspar said these days of the General Congregation are so important for this reason. Despite the eagerness to begin the conclave, there must be this time of discernment, a word which has come up very often lately. He said the Cardinal takes all his responsibilities seriously, but in the last few weeks, he has been even more serious about this responsibility. It’s the most important thing a cardinal does in the life of the Church. Greg noted how the cardinals have talked about the importance of the coffee hours in the General Congregations where they have a moment to mingle amongst themselves and chat informally. Scot said it’s daunting to believe that the cardinals will be making a vote because of a conversation over coffee. George Martell talked about the Cardinal’s status as a dark horse, but how much he would be a great pope. 2nd segment: Scot said Fr. Federico Lombardi, spokesman for the Vatican, announced today that five more cardinal-electors arrived in Rome today and took their oaths of secrecy and they’re waiting for three more. The cardinals are giving speeches representing all the different regions of the world, and various other topics of concern. They discussed the motu proprio for setting the date of the conclave, but did not set one. They also sent a telegram to Benedict XVI thanking him for his service. Tomorrow night, the cardinals will gather in St. Peter’s Basilica for a special public prayer service. Fr. Gaspar said it’s a great opportunity for Catholics throughout the world to join in prayer and be reminded that this is a time of spiritual renewal of the Church. The cardinals are telling us that they need our prayers. Greg said it is surprising that these other cardinals are not in Rome and that’s been a common question from the media. Cardinal DiNardo speculated that they had unbreakable commitments in their diocese. Others say it’s not so easy coming from some of these countries. Still others say they may be trying to delay the conclave to the traditional 15-day waiting period. It could also be that it had been unclear until very recently even when the General Congregations would begin. Scot said we’re all anxious to know who the next Holy Father is going to be, but Cardinal Seán says that it’s wonderful to have these times of the General Congregations so when the conclave begins they will be able to make their votes right away and it won’t take very long. Fr. Gaspar said Rome wasn’t built in a day. They’re not just selecting a Prefect of the Papal Household. They’re electing a pope, which is an awesome experience. He said as Americans we’re very impatient, but this process has taken place for centuries and we should be slow in deliberations and quick in decision-making.Greg said they don’t want to go into the conclave ill-prepared or the conclave could drag on. Scot said the consequence of that might be the appearance of a very divided Church. Scot said the questions he’s been asked all day is when the conclave will start, who does he think will get elected, and does Cardinal Seán have a shot? Next, Scot played Cardinal Seán’s opening statement from a press conference this afternoon at the Pontifical North American College. Cardinal Seán recounted the events of Monday in the General Congregations and described how they heard from the cardinals who won’t be entering the conclave. Then he described their activities today. Scot said he counted 22 TV cameras and more than 100 media personnel in the press conference. Fr. Gaspar said it’s fascinating that what the cardinals are saying hasn’t changed all that much and yet there’s all these people waiting to hear what two cardinals sworn to secrecy had to say about a meeting they can’t say anything about. For those who say the Church has nothing to say to the modern world, it seems that people are interested in what the Church has to say. Fr. Gaspar said he’s heard from a number of non-American journalists how refreshing it is to hear directly from American cardinals, which no other bishops’ conference around the world is doing. Greg said it is true that the entire world’s attention is focused on Rome and you don’t see this with any other religion. Whether or not you entirely follow your faith or even if you’re not Catholic, somehow the Church provides a moral compass and the world is looking for this compass. It doesn’t mean they will follow it, but they could be comforted knowing that there is someone with moral certitude and moral courage. The first question in the press conference came from Ann Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She asked what form the conversations of the General Congregations took. Cardinal Seán said today it took the form of some interventions from various cardinals. The next question came from the Associated Press who asked about some back and forth between the cardinals and members of the curia and what they thought on the reported dysfunction in the curia. Cardinal Seán said they are interested in the functioning of the bureaucracy of the Holy See. He said he’s not sure who important all that is for the working of the conclave. Scot asked Fr. Gaspar how the cardinals will prioritize among the three principal duties of the Pope: the teaching, the sanctifying, or the governing mission. He said it’s widely held that the Vatican needs stronger guidance. Fr. Gaspar said he doesn’t think that will be highest priority as that responsibility is often handed over to those who assist the Pope. He said the cardinals are probably talking about this issue among themselves and we probably can expect changes in the hierarchy in the future. Benedict XVI was a wonderful teacher and he thinks that the cardinals will want to continue emphasizing that teaching. Scot said he hopes the cardinals continue to prioritize as they did in the last two conclaves: Someone who can communicate Christ’s teaching and all the improvements we want to make personally and collectively as a Church. Greg said in the press conferences they are asked over and over whether they want to see the report produced on the dysfunction in the curia. The cardinals keep responding that they will learn everything they need to know in the General Congregations. The report itself will be presented to the new Holy Father. The next question comes from Jason Horowitz of the Washington Post, who asked if the timing will affect who gets elected. Cardinal Seán responded that the big concern is that the cardinal-electors want to have a good idea of who they want to vote for going into the conclave and so they want to have the preparation done beforehand. Fr. Jonathan said if the cardinals rush this, they will lose the opportunity to discern how the Holy Spirit is leading the Church today. The next question is from Associated Press’s Anne Thomas. She wondered if Pope Benedict’s presence will have an indirect influence on the conclave and whether Cardinal Seán would wear brown robes if elected pope. Cardinal Seán said he presumes he will wear his robes until the day he dies because he doesn’t expect to be elected. Scot said the whole world knows Cardinal Seán is a contender for the papacy. He said they went for a coffee with the cardinal after the news conference and they had a number of people who came up to him and recognized him and the proprietor of the shop gave them the local’s rate for their coffee, as opposed to the tourist rate. Scot said a lot of people recognize Cardinal Seán as distinctive among the cardinals for his clothes. Greg said the people of Boston were also taken aback by the cardinal when he arrived there for eschewing the formal dress. Other Capuchin bishops don’t continue to wear the robes, but for Cardinal Seán he wants to stay close to his roots. Scot said he refers to the cardinal’s robes as his second skin. 3rd segment: Scot looked forward to the rest of the week in which he will be interviewing locals from across the Station of the Cross’ network. George Martell added that he is taking photos during their days and uploading them automatically to Flickr.com/BostonCatholic. They will also be posting videos up Youtube.com/BostonCatholic. Greg Tracy will be writing a blog post on The Good Catholic Life website and another on PilotCatholicNews.com. He said the big upcoming event will be that prayer service with the cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Scot said it was reported today that more than 5,000 journalists have been accredited already. Fr. Jonathan said he doesn’t know what the schedule holds for him in assisting the cardinal. He said there’s been lots of gathering throughout the city outside the General Congregations in language groups and other groups to continue informally the conversations they have during the day. Scot said anyone who wants their prayer requests brought before the bones of St. Peter can send them to [email protected]. He recounted some of his plans to interview other pilgrims tomorrow and he will be taking over the blogging mantle from Greg.