This is great and the history is pretty good.
Just sit back and enjoy and… maybe… make a few notes and TRY the recipe! I’ve forwarded to priest friends who are really into smoking and bbq, … hint hint hint…
There is a lot of fun church history, conclave trivia.
WRITTEN YESTERDAY MORNING 8 MAY:
On this first full day – maybe full day, maybe note – the sun rose at 5:55. Sunset is slated for 20:19.
The Ave Maria Bell is still in its 20:30 cycle for the Roman Curia.
Today is the Feast of two Pope’s, Boniface IV (+615) who in dramatic fashion consecrated the Pantheon as a church dedicated to Our Lady of Martyrs and Pope Benedict II (+685).
Could we, today, get a Boniface X or a Benedict XVII?
Today is also one of two days of the year when we offer the Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii.
WRITTEN TODAY 9 May:
On the first full day of the Pontificate of Leo XIV the sun rose at 5:54. It will set at 20:20.
The Ave Maria… will it begin to ring again? … in the 20:30 cycle.
It is the Feast of St. Isaiah, Old Testament Prophet.
People have pointed out that, yesterday, we have the Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii and the 1500th anniversary of the Apparition of St. Michael at Monte Gargano… to the day.
What does that portend?
Who knows.
There are lots of rumors going around that Papa Prevost has celebrated the TLM. Some say this forcefully. I would like to think so, especially because I think that EVERY priest should know how to say it! The TLM teaches priests about who they are. Over time the gains are great and the knock on effects are significant.
My early sense is that he is not going to further punish people who want it. My early sense is that he will let Taurina cacata slip into the vague fog of fading memory or maybe after some benign neglect, sweep it aside.
I like the new papal name. It reminds us of the early stirrings of the modern Church’s social teaching because of Rerum novarum of Leo XIII. It also reminds us of Leo XIII’s powerful MARIAN devotion!
Moreover, Leo is the only name of a relatively recent Pope that is not likely to provoke negative associations in any of the various factions of today’s Church.
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Good to see new people.
It’s hard to know what to post, since there is so much to write about. Hence, I’ll still to the bread and butter of these daily posts.
Last night I got together with a few friends for supper at a favorite place which is going from success to success.
Here is my first course (instead of pasta), asparagus with crumbled hard boiled egg and house-mayo.
I didn’t order this, but I was able to have a bite. This is monk fish made like saltimbocca.
It was remarkably good!
We had a choice of amaro. The World’s Best Sacristan™ can’t exercise any control when it comes to photo bombs.
Guess which one I had.
In the market this morning.
My walk through the Campo de’ Fiori this morning was funny.
The new Pope was the topic, at least with me, the guy in a cassock. Since they are ROMANS… I asked them what they thought. The results made me laugh.
First, “I don’t like him” – “Why?” – “I don’t like his face.” “Really?” “I don’t like his face… too skinny.”
Next, “I really like him!” – “Why?” – “I like his face, he seems nice”.
Next, “I don’t like him.” “Why?” “I don’t like his face… and he’s not Italian, enough with the foreigners.”
Next, “He’s great!” “Why” – “I like his face and he AMERICAN!” “Really?” “Why not? And he’s young!”
Please note well: Almost all Romans are theologians of some sort. They are not usually very good at it, but they are rarely uncertain.
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Black to move and mate in 4.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
It is fun and instructive to watch the high level games with good commentary. Right now there is a big match up in Bucharest for quite a lot of money and circuit points. Today my guy Wesley So is up against the young Pole phenom Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Can you visit the Benedictine monks of Norcia and help them by getting some of their excellent beer? It could be a gift to someone else.
One of the thing that a new Pope has to do, is tie up the loose ends left by his predecessor.
There are no ends looser that one can imagine that the DUBIA about Amoris laetitia submitted in 2016 to Francis by the “Four Dubia Cardinals” (Burke, Brandmüller, Caffarra+, Meisner+).
There were also dubia submitted in 2023 about synodality by five Cardinals (Brandmüller, Sarah, Sandoval Íñiguez, Burke, and Zen).
Resubmit the dubia Leo when things settle down.
This could be a foundational moment of healing at the beginning of a new Pontificate as well as a gesture of continuity with the last years out of which those sets of – serious! – questions were submitted by serious and highly credentialled men of the Church, Cardinals, fulfilling their duty to advise the Pope.
It might not be the best timing to resubmit these before the ink on Leo’s first signature is dry, but sometime soon when things are settling down, they could ask for the healing gesture of clarifications to their questions.
Responses could be a great consolation for a lot of people who have struggled in confusion about the Church’s teachings on some matters.
Some might argue that resubmitting the dubia would make him defensive. I think it depends on how they are resubmitted and in what moment.
Please join me in thanking Our Lord for the election of Pope Leo XIV, Successor of Saint Peter, as the Shepherd of the Church throughout the world. The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at La Crosse has a particularly strong bond with the Roman Pontiff, especially through its… pic.twitter.com/995v5Xm5nj
— Cardinal Burke (@cardinalrlburke) May 8, 2025
The 19th c. poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli… Er Belli. He wrote satirical sonnets in the Roman dialect about life in Rome and took deadly aim at Rome’s priests, religious, prelates and popes. The speakers in the poems are shop keepers and artisans, ordinary people, talking about the the high and mighty they see.
This was back in the day when Popes got around in town, walking or with a carriage, etc., and lived at the Quirinale.
Here’s one about a brand new Pope!
ER PAPA NOVO
Stavo ggiusto ar pilastro der cancello
Der cuartiere a cciarlà cco lo scozzone,
In ner mentre smuronno er finestrone,
E sbusciò er Cardinale cor cartello.
E io sò stato stammatina cuello
Ch’è entrato er primo drento in ner portone
Cuanno er Papa saliva in carrozzone,
E l’ho arivisto poi sott’a Ccastello.
Poi sò ccurzo a Ssampietro; ma le ggente
Eremo tante in chiesa, bbuggiaralle,
Che de funzione nun ne so ddì ggnente.
In cuanto sia portallo su le spalle
L’ho vvisto, ma vvolevo puramente
Vedé ccome je bbrusceno le palle.
Roma, 26 novembre 1832
Thanks to The Great Roman™ you get a great taste of the Roman dialect.
I was just standing at the gate post
of the neighborhood chatting with the horse breeder,
while they unbrick the big window,
and the Cardinal came out with the sign.
And I was the one this morning
who first entered the gate
when the Pope got into the big carriage,
and I saw him again later under the Castle.
Then I ran to St. Peter’s; but there were so many people
in the church, **** them, that I know nothing about the liturgy.
I saw how much it is to carry him on shoulders,
but I really wanted to see how the fluff balls burned.
That last part is a reference to the Sedia Gestatoria and the custom of burning fluff to remind the new Pope of the passing vanity of this world, sic transit gloria mundi.
Pope Leo XIV greeted the city of Rome and the world with these words at his first appearance as the Successor of Peter from the Central Loggia of St Peter’s Basilica:
Peace be with you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.
This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions. Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome – the Pope who blessed Rome and the world that day on the morning of Easter.
Allow me to continue that same blessing. God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs His light. Humanity needs Him like a bridge to reach God and His love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace.
Thank you Pope Francis!
Thank you to my Cardinal brothers who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk together with you as a united Church searching all together for peace and justice, working together as women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, to be missionaries, faithful to the gospel.
I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian. He said, “With you I am a Christian, for you a bishop.” So may we all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.
To the Church of Rome, a special greeting:
We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.
[In Spanish]:
Hello to all and especially to those of my diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, a loyal, faithful people accompanying the bishop and helping the bishop.
[Returning to Italian]:
To all you brothers and sisters of Rome, Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal church, walking and always seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering.
Today is the day of the Supplicatio [Plea] to Our Lady of Pompei.
Our blessed mother Mary always wants to walk with us, be close to us, she always wants to help us with her intercession and her love. So let us pray together for this mission, and for all of the Church, and for peace in the world.
We ask for this special grace from Mary, our Mother.
Hail Mary…
From a reader…
QUAERITUR:
What if the cardinals chose a man who is not in the conclave? They can chose a baptized male, right? It’s unlikely that they would go outside the Cardinals in the conclave, even for an older non-voting Cardinal. It’s extremely unlikely that they would choose a non-Cardinal. But if they do, what happens?
BTW… see the post immediately before this one! The Sonnet by Belli about this topic.
The document about death the election of Popes is called Universi Domini Gregis. UDG says:
90. If the person elected resides outside Vatican City, the norms contained in the Ordo Rituum Conclavis are to be observed.
The ORC says:
62. Si autem Electus extra Civitatem Vaticanam degit, Cardinal, electores duos Cardinales eligunt ut Cardinali qui praeest continuo adsint usque ad adventum et acceptationem Electi.
Deinde Cardinalis qui praeest et duo Cardinales qui ei adsunt Substitutum Secretariae Status arcessent, qui caute et prudenter efficiat ut Electus quantocius ad Urbem perveniat, vitatis omnino mediis communicationis socialis per quae secretum Conclavis violari possit. Cum Electus in Civitatem Vaticanam pervenerit, Substitutus Secretariae Status immediate dc cius adventu Cardinalem qui preeest cer-tiorem faciat eiusque mandata adamussim exsequatur. Cardinalis qui praeest, consiliis cum duobus Cardinalibus qui ei adsunt collatis, Cardinales electores convocabit et Electum in Sacellum Sixtinum introducet, ut ad acceptationis ritum procedatur.
63. Post acceptationem, Electus qui episcopali ordinatione iam pollet est illico Romanae Ecclesiae Episcopus simulque verus Summus Pontifex et Caput Collegii Episcopalis; idemque actu plenam et supremam potestatem in universam Ecclesiam acquirit.
or
62. If the Elect resides outside Vatican City, the Cardinal electors choose two Cardinals who assist the presiding Cardinal until the arrival and acceptance of the Elect. Then the Cardinal who presides and the two Cardinals who assist him will call the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, who will carefully ensure that the Elected One comes to Rome as soon as possible, absolutely avoiding the means of communication by which the secret of the Conclave can be violated. When the Elected Representative is in Vatican City, the Substitute of the Secretariat of State immediately informs the presiding Cardinal of his arrival and follows his orders exactly. The presiding Cardinal, after having taken counsel from the two Cardinals assisting him, shall convoke the Cardinal electors and introduce the Elected Cardinals into the Sistine Chapel so that the rite of acceptance may take place.
63. After acceptance, the Elect who has already received priestly ordination is immediately Bishop of the Church of Rome, true Supreme Pontiff and Head of the Episcopal College; he acquires in fact the full and supreme power over the universal Church.
So, they send a couple of guys (they better be strong) to go get the poor man and drag him to the Sistine Chapel and put the question to him formally. By this time, he has probably figured out what’s going on.
I would be tempted to make them stop at a bar first before getting to Vatican City.
One problem I have with this is that at the death of a Pope, all roles in the Curia cease except for the Camerlengo, the Vicar of Rome, and the Major Penitentiary. So, there shouldn’t be a Sostituto, technically, since there is also not Secretary of State, technically.
We are privileged again to have another sonnet from the 19th c. poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli… Er Belli. He wrote seriously funny sonnets in the Roman dialect about life in Rome and aimed deadly satire at Rome’s clerics, religious, prelates and popes. The characters in the poems are often rough ready street people and shop keepers and artisans making observations about the dealing of the high and mighty they see about town. And this was back in the day when Popes got around in town, walking or with a carriage, etc.
Belli can be biting and funny and sometimes off-color.
La sscerta der Papa
Sò ffornasciaro, sí, ssò ffornasciaro,
Sò un cazzaccio, sò un tufo, sò un cojjone:
Ma la raggione la capisco a pparo
De chiunque sa intenne la raggione.
Sscejjenno un Papa, sor dottor mio caro,
Drent’a ’na settantina de perzone,
E mmanco sempre tante, è ccaso raro
Che ss’azzecchino in lui qualità bbone.
Perché ss’ha da creà ssempre un de loro?
Perché oggni tanto nun ze fa ffilisce
Un brav’omo che attenne ar zu’ lavoro?
Mettémo caso: io sto abbottanno er vetro?
Entra un Eminentissimo e mme disce:
Sor Titta, è Ppapa lei: vienghi a Ssan Pietro.
22 dicembre 1834
The election of the Pope
I’m a glassblower, okay, I’m a glassblower,
I’m a bum, a dummy, a jerk:
but I understand the reason as well as anyone
who knows how to understand the reason.
They chose a Pope, my dear doctor,
among about seventy people,
and not always so many, it is rare
that they find good qualities in him.
Why do they always have to create one of their own?
Why is it that now and then they don’t find
a good guy who will do his job?
Imagine: So I’m wrapping up some glass?
A fancy Eminence enters and says to me:
“Mr Giambattista, you’re Pope: Come to Saint Peter’s”.
From a priest…
QUAERITUR:
I’m sure Rome is exciting this week more than Easter Week. I noticed something peculiar watching old Habemus Papam videos. Following the sibi nomen imposuit, ir seems the name has traditionally been given first in the genitive case : “ Johannis Pauli” “ Benedicti” , but for some reason Cardinal Tauran announced “Franciscum” (accusative?) rather than Francisci. Is there a hard and fast rule on this, or some wiggle room? Just curious.
Also, JP 1 had the “primi” added in the announcement, JP2 did not get “secundi” but Benedict did have the decimi sexti … I suppose it’s not as important, but this is what I’m thinking at 2:30am.
Let’s hope for “Pii” or something good,
Here’s the formula of the announcement:
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum [NAME in ACCUSATIVE] Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem [LAST NAME usually not declinable] qui sibi nomen imposuit [REGNAL NAME].
I suppose that the name could be in the nominative, as if there were a mental colon after imposuit [: Leo… Leo.]. That’s Leo not Lío. It could be accusative as the object of imposuit [“Leonem… Leo”]. I think it could be a kind of apposition genitive, “who has imposed upon himself the name “Leonis … of Leo”.
Anyone else on this matter of grave importance?
Pius XII – “Pium”
John XXIII ?
Paul VI “Paulum Sextum”
John Paul I – “Ioannis Pauli Primi”
John Paul II – “Ioannis Pauli”
Benedict XVI – “Benedicti Decimi Sexti”
UPDATE:
Well that was fast!
Let’s keep going.
Originally Published on: May 8, 2025 at 06:36
Collectively we can do some looking around.
If you are watching online or by TV any coverage of the conclave, or the chimney, what service or network are you watching?
Also, WHOM have these services or networks brought in for their commentary?
For example, in my daily text group (which includes serious, highly-credentialled people) after the 1st black smoke today, one texter told us that on EWTN the cleric compared the waiting for white smoke to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins and, perhaps also the cleric, to Advent. This provoked hilarity and a “face palm” in our group.
Our texter went on to say that CNN was better. Better than EWTN, that is. Pretty sad.
That’s what made me wonder who is commenting on which network or service.
Hence, this post.
I INVITE YOU READERS… to post about what and whom you are watching.
Also, please, post comments made which caught your attention – the good, the bad, the ugly. Try to be accurate for the sake of fairness. Don’t worry about being repetitive. I’ll try to check the message/comment queue often to keep it fresh.
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