After the death of Pope Francis, I watched news reports on television regarding his funeral, mourning period, and conclave. When the reporters were shown at Vatican City in Rome, they were often standing in a crowded Saint Peter’s Square, describing the mood of the crowd. Seeing the familiar landmarks behind the reporters was like recognizing someone I loved but hadn’t seen for a long time. With a shiver of equal parts of joy and disbelief, I remembered how my daughter and I met and shook hands with Pope Francis at the top of the Basilica steps during a trip we took to Rome in September of 2023.
A deep and abiding respect for the Pope had been instilled in me by my Catholic parents. The Pope is more than just the head of the two-thousand-year-old Universal Church. He is responsible for making sure all the doctrines set by Jesus and entrusted to Peter, the first Pope, never change.
The hot September day Tammie and I met Pope Francis, started with us rushing to Saint Peter’s Square in the early morning hours. When we arrived, there was already a huge line of people that stretched for blocks. Tammie wondered out loud whether the line was for tickets or to get in. Either way, the length of the line filled us with dread since neither of us could bear standing for very long.
We approached a guard stationed by a metal crowd control barrier to ask where to go. He simply moved to one side and motioned us through. We joined a much shorter line to pass through x-ray machines under the colonnade. Once inside Saint Peter’s Square we met colorfully dressed Swiss Guards. Each one we approached, motioned us forward. We got closer and closer to the stairs leading up to the entrance of the Basilica. I said to my daughter, “This can’t be right.” I felt like we were mistakenly being given seats of honor. We ended up sitting on banquet chairs lined up in rows alongside the canopied dais where the Pope would appear. As I looked around at the people sitting around us, I began to understand how we got to be there. This part of the audience consisted entirely of religious and handicapped people. Behind us was a section filled with young men and women dressed in their wedding dresses and tuxedos.
After Pope Francis’ address was repeated in seven different languages, he began to shake hands with the people surrounding the dais. I was in total disbelief! I would get to shake the 266th Pope’s hand! I found his voice to be soft and pleasing to hear and his eyes filled with so much love! After shaking hands with my beaming daughter, Tammie, the Pope affectionately reached up and patted her right cheek.
Life Lines 