Pope Francis (the first!)

Habemus Papam!  

What an exciting day in our Catholic faith.  Every time a pope is elected it is an exciting and new experience for me.  With our digital age, the whole world was able to watch the white smoke float from the Sistine Chapel.  For fun on Tuesday I looked up airfare to Rome (because how cool would that be?)  With four kids and a couple grand not in my pocket I decided to watch it on the internet like everyone else. Knowing, and trying not to gloat, I have been there!  I have stood there in St. Peter's square and seen the inside of the Sistine Chapel, which makes watching it on t.v more real.       

Of course the day the pope was declared, I forgot my cell phone.  So, Matt called me on my work phone every 2 minutes to tell me the updates...There is a pope (as the kids cheered in the background.) ...Nobody knows anything about him (me munching my lunch in the background.) ...He chose the name Pope Francis I (me singing the Disney cartoon Sophia the First song altered to fit the new pope.) ...He is from Argentina (o.k. this is getting ridiculous as I am trying to work.)  ...We are going to meet our friends at Tango's Empanadas to celebrate (recalling 4 years before when I had wicked morning sickness and trying to eat an empanada, not a pretty picture.)  

Our friends, Lorissa and Johnny, can throw together a party for a pope being elected like nobodies business!  We pretty much took over this little restaurant and toasted and celebrated with the adorable couple who works there and forced fun on any other patrons.  

So after 3 days, how would I rate the pope?  If you judge his papacy by the liberal media I would give him a 2.  But let's not judge him on that, so I will give him a 9 for being so cool.  

Cool things to look for in a pope*...

~ Escaping the Vatican twice to ride the city bus!

~Washing the feet of 12 people who have AIDS as a cardinal in Argentina. 

~ Having 1 lung! 

~ Whipping out an American Express to pay his hotel bill after being elected Pope and thanking the staff by name.  

~ Being from the first pope to be from the "Americas"  

~ Taking the name Francis because just like St. Francis he will rebuild the Church from being in ruin.  

*Disclaimer, all of this was not researched and just stuff I heard on the radio so not guaranteeing the accuracy of the above statements.   

 

As for this little guy, we will not be changing his name. 

 Ironically, one of the names that I fought for was Francisco!  Since Madeline and Sophie are named for the same Saint (Madeleine Sophie) , I thought Clara (she is named after Clare of Assisi ) should have a saint buddy.