From the City, With the World

(Note: I was intending to write about the experience of 13 March 2013 within a month after I got back to the Philippines after that coverage. However, one thing led to another, or more accurately, one excuse led to another.  Despite being a year late, I hope I can recall the events of that day as vividly as I can. After all, this is an experience that I will not easily forget in this lifetime…or even the next.) 

It was 2:30PM.

While most everyone in the Eternal City was taking their siesta or riposo “as the Romans do,” my cameraman and I were aimlessly walking around Via Conciliazione, the primary road leading to St. Peter’s Square, looking for cover from the downpour for which we were not prepared.  Sharing a borrowed umbrella, we tried to find a strategic spot that would allow us to enter the Square easily in case fumata bianca issues from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.

The Square on a much quieter time, two days before the start
of the Conclave

Despite the late hour, we had not had lunch.  Instead of eating, we spent our Roman noon finishing all our requirements for the early evening and late night newscasts in Manila, which we had to submit before the 6PM, 9PM and 10:30PM Philippine airings. (The Roman time equivalents are 11AM, 2PM and 3:30PM, respectively).

It was already Day 2 of the Conclave but technically Day 1 of our coverage, because it was the first full day with both morning and afternoon voting sessions by the Cardinal-Electors. Since fumata nera effused from the chimney after the three ballots so far cast, no one knew for certain how long this Conclave would last.  Pundits predicted that a new Pope would be elected on March 15^th, the 4^th day of the voting. For us, that meant three full days of gathering and producing stories for all the newscasts.

The spoils, therefore, had to be divided between my team and that of my female colleague’s.

Finding a story was not the problem.  Everywhere one looked, a story was being told.  The hard part was choosing which one would be worth telling in under 2 minutes (for a package) or 5 minutes (for a live shot).

Then there were the technical and logistical problems.  No matter how well-funded the news organization I worked for was, to go live on four daily newscasts for the next three days would be too costly. Therefore, we had to produce more packages.

The 7-hour difference between Manila (UTC+8) and Rome (UTC+1) during that time of year also meant that we still had to be awake at Roman midnight midnigmi  jrururururuk         kft on some rooftop overlooking St. Peter’s Square where the live set up we rented was, to service the 6:00AM (Manila) newscast. Similarly, we had to be out of our hotel by 8:00AM (Rome) when the Cardinal-Electors began their day in Conclave. Unfortunately, the distance between St. Peter’s Square and our hotel was a good 15-minutes (or 30 euros) by cab, and even farther by bus or Metro.

Paul VI Audience Hall where the international
media was housed

As the desk editor on site, I decided that I would take the afternoon chimney watch from the Square, while my female colleague would take the morning session.  So off I went for my first afternoon chimney watch. Aside from monitoring the chimney, the story that I decided to produce for that afternoon was about the Catholic Church’s use of archaic practices to herald the election of a new Bishop of Rome, despite modern technologies and means of communication.  I contacted a Filipino priest, Fr. Roy Bellen, who was studying Communications in one of the Pontifical universities at that time, to walk me through these practices and what they meant.

Since the rain did not show any sign of stopping anytime soon, my cameraman and I decided to go to the Paul VI Audience Hall, where all the world’s media was housed. But then we, or our stomachs rather, remembered lunch.  Left with no choice, we settled for a fast food restaurant across the Audience Hall serving expensive (and unimpressive) pizza and pasta.

SIDEBAR: For the past few days, my colleagues and I have been having our meals (lunch and dinner rolled into one) at an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant a stone’s throw away from the Audience Hall.)  There was something comforting about Chinese food despite the authentic insalata, pizza, and pasta that one can find wherever one went. Perhaps it was the familiarity of the Asian fare.  Or the reward of lunching on unlimited food (and rice, of course) after a grueling day, jetlag, the rain and the freezing temperature may have been the come on. Thirteen euros may have been too much, but hey, nobody was complaining.

Euroclero (with Philippine flag wrapped around the pole)
from euxus.de

I scheduled my appointment with Fr. Roy between 3:30PM and 4PM.  Since it would be the first time I would be meeting him amid the rain and sea of people, who are expected to descend on the Square to witness the smoke, we agreed to meet in front of the Philippine Embassy in the Holy See, just across the outer rim of the Charlemagne or south corridor of Bernini’s colonnade.  

Because of the rain, my interview with Fr. Roy proved to be very difficult.  But we were able to manage, through the kindness of the employees of Euroclero, one of the more famous ecclesiastical tailors, who allowed us to seek cover in their store’s covered doorway.  After the interview ended at 4:30PM, Fr. Roy invited us to join him and some members of the Filipino clergy in Rome who will be waiting in the Square for smoke from the chimney. 

According to the Conclave schedule released by the Holy See Press Office, smoke was expected at around noontime for the morning session and at 7PM for the afternoon session.  However, if a Pope is elected in the first ballot of either session, smoke would billow forth between 10:30AM and 11AM or 5:30PM and 6PM, respectively.

I asked Fr. Roy why he and his group even bothered to be at the Square that afternoon, given the March 15^th prediction by experts for a new Pope.  Fr. Roy was quick to remind me that Benedict XVI was elected on the 4^th ballot on the 2^nd day of the 2005 Conclave.  The Filipino priests were aware that the 2013 Sede Vacante circumstances were entirely different from 2005’s, but they went to the Square anyway “just in case.”

With a little hesitation, my cameraman and I set out for the Square shortly after the interview

The position of St. Peter's statue on the Square, relative
to the balcony. In front of it is a video monitor.
from mstecker.com 

. We positioned ourselves close to one of the large video monitors, close to St. Peter’s statue on the left side of the Square facing the Basilica. With about an hour to spare before the possible smoke signal, I decided to shoot a stand upper for the package I was making, that would show me pointing to the chimney first, and then to the expectant crowd waiting for news about the new Roman Pontiff.  To do that, I had to come from the crowd, whose backs were turned towards the camera lens, as if I were an onlooker myself, and then walk in the direction of the camera. 

Crowds waiting for smoke from the chimney

To make the long story short, it took us 17 takes to finally produce a good stand up, because either the crowds thinned out, somebody crossed in front of the camera during the take, or I screwed up my lines out of exhaustion and frustration.  To complete the story, we interviewed Filipino pilgrims and other nationals about their expectations of the new Holy Father.  The only thing missing from the report would be the “black smoke” that would come out of the chimney at 7PM, and my package would be complete.

No smoke came out at 6PM. With the news-gathering complete, my cameraman and I just had to wait for the next “smoke signal window” which was at 7PM.  The rain intensified again after a brief lull. To secure our vantage point, we just stood under our umbrella, prioritizing the camera more than ourselves.  My pants were soaked up almost to the knees. Earlier, we were warned by an elderly Filipino priest that our legs and feet were at a very high risk of freezing, if we don’t change clothes or settle in a warm environment soon.  But without much of a choice and with nothing left to do, we just sat there…or stood there…waiting.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Basilica’s bells finally pealed to indicate that it was 7PM.

Everyone then focused their attention on the chimney. There was no smoke. 

The long hand of each of the two 18^th century clocks flanking both sides of the Basilica shifted to 7:01PM.  Still, there was no smoke.

Then 7:02. Still, no smoke.

Everybody seemed to hang on to each minute. Every second mattered.

After what seemed like an eternity, I glanced at the clock on the right side of the Basilica facing the central balcony. It was already  7:05PM, but still, there was no smoke.

Something was definitely amiss.

If anything, it was an indication that it was going to be a long night. I was already conditioning myself. 

With not much energy to spare, I turned to my cameraman. “Tonight’s the night,” I told him, half-jokingly. “We are lucky.”

And then, it happened.

At 7:06PM by that same 18^th century clock, smoke began to billow forth from the chimney.

It was black.

But after a few huffs…and puffs….white smoke streamed from the chimney.

White smoke effuses from the Sistine Chapel's chimney

“Fumata bianca,” someone exclaimed. “White,” “bianca,” whispered many from all corners of the Square.

Whispers turned into shouts, and shouts turned into a singular roar as the smoke that wafted from the chimney became more and more unmistakably white.

To confirm everyone’s observation, the Basilica’s bells began to peal.  Everyone shouted in excitement!

The rain suddenly stopped. The crowd began pushing forward. 

As more and more people were trying to get closer to the Central Loggia or Balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, my cameraman and I got separated. It was a good thing that we agreed earlier on that in case we got lost within the Square, we would later meet at the fountain closest to where we were positioned.  I was left with the umbrella and the heavy tripod. I used it to secure my position, to show that I could not move, and that people would have to pass me or simply let me keep my spot (which was as good as it could get, given the situation.) 

I started calling home. My newsroom, I mean. It was 2:06AM in Manila.

The news producers hooked me up by phone so I could file a report and be quizzed by the news anchor while waiting for the announcement of the new Pope’s name and the emergence of the new Pope himself from the central balcony.

As close as I could get. This was pretty close.

Blah, blah, blah I went, explaining step-by-step what would happen next.

All my life, I dreamt about this day. Many times before, during my "playtime" as a student, I pretended to be reporting on the scene about the election of the new Bishop of Rome. In short, I had "practice." 

But there I was, almost forgetting the name of the man who would proclaim “Habemus Papam” and fumbling at the English translation of the Latin phrases that he would be pronouncing. 

People still kept on pushing forward and we were moving closer and closer to the balcony. There was no more space to share but people still kept pushing forward. I was getting crushed. Despite that, I kept talking on the phone. The people beside me were looking at me strangely, as if wanting me to put down the phone and concentrate on what was to come. Figuring out which language I spoke, perhaps, piqued their interest too.  

Then, at 8:12 PM local time, the white curtains covering the glass doors of the Loggia parted. The glass doors swung open and out came the Senior Cardinal Deacon, Jean Louis Cardinal Tauran, who had the task of announcing to the world the election of the new leader of the  Catholic Church.

Cardinal Protodeacon Jean-Louis Tauran making the announcement
from infovaticana.com

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
HABEMUS PAPAM!

Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum Georgium Marium...
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglio. 

Qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum! 




The crowd went wild!  

Because of the noise, I could only make out three parts of Cardinal Tauran's pronouncement: "Habemus Papam," "Bergoglio," and "Franciscum."

I was still on air on the phone at that point so I had to report something. I wasn’t with someone I could confer with so I looked towards the group of what I believe were Irish or Australian seminarians or consecrated religious men, who spoke English with a heavy accent.  To one of them I asked, “Bergoglio, the Argentinian?” to which the man looked at me blankly. I remember Bergoglio being Argentinian but I wasn’t sure if he was a sitting or a retired archbishop.

Then the truth suddenly dawned on me: I wasn’t prepared for BERGOGLIO!

If one were to look at the notes I had in my Ipad (that is IF I had the chance to look at them given the tight mouse hole I was in; I couldn’t even reach for my pockets!), one would not see BERGOGLIO anywhere. The newspapers of the last three days also narrowed the playing field down to three people: SCOLA, SCHERER and OULLET. Of course, I had information about TAGLE by default. But not BERGOGLIO!  Even if I could reach for my Ipad, it I had no internet connection.

I had to rely on my stock knowledge (if at all my brain had created a folder for BERGOGLIO somewhere...)

Trusting my instincts, I began to report (in Tagalog):  “The new Pope is Jorge Maria (I only realized my mistake after I got back to the hotel) Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina. (At that point, I was tempted to say he was Archbishop emeritus.) He chose for himself the name Francis.”  

Taking a gulp (and a leap of faith), I added, “He took his name from St. Francis of Assisi, a man of poverty, humility, a man who was known to have reformed the Church. If reports are to be believed, Cardinal Bergoglio was the runner up to Benedict XVI in the 2005 conclave.  This report was based on a journal that was leaked by an anonymous cardinal who participated in that election.  Bergoglio is also a Jesuit, the first Jesuit to be elected to the papacy. Cardinal Bergoglio is known to be a simple man. He rode the train (or was it bus???) to work.”

(NOTE: When I came back to the Philippines, I had a chance to chat with some of the people who were on duty at the newsroom at that time.  Everyone thought that I was sitting comfortably in the Conclave Press Room, looking at my notes or searching the internet for material on which to base my report on Bergoglio. But, as I said, everything I said came off the top of my head [or my heart], even when I was not sure that what I would be saying was correct. In hindsight, I thank God for giving me the knowledge, wisdom, and foresight at the right time.)

At 8:22PM, the new Holy Father, Pope Francis, finally emerged from the Loggia. Since I broke my eyeglasses on the flight to Rome, to me, he was a blur (I am a bit nearsighted too.) But I could make out a man in white at the center of the balcony.

Pope Francis emerges from the balcony (screen grab from CTV)

Once again, I turned to my “new friend” and asked, “Is he wearing ONLY white?”

With the confidence of a Vaticanista, he replied, “Of course, Popes wear white.”

I just smiled. Okay. Mea culpa.

I should have been more specific.

"Why wasn’t he wearing an ermine-trimmed crimson mozzetta or shoulder-length cape? Where was that ornate papal (state) stole? Why was he wearing ONLY white?" should have been the question(s). 

I did not argue. After all, I would be needing his translation services in a few minutes.

Then, after absorbing everything in front of him, Pope Francis began to speak.

With the help of my "translator," I was able to briefly discuss the Pope’s first message urbi et orbi and finish my phone report. (Thanks again, whoever you are!)

After that, the Pope imparted his first Apostolic Blessing and bade them good night.

Everything I gathered since 3:30PM was now useless. I had to start from scratch. I had to come up with a new package on the election of Pope Francis.

First, I had to look for my cameraman.  Fortunately for us, we found each other as the crowd thinned out. But that meant little time to interview people on the Square, most especially the Argentinians, for their reaction. 

Fortunately for me, the Argentinians who were in the Square got held up by other foreign journalists. They willingly obliged to be interviewed by a Philippine network.

I was also very fortunate to see an old Filipino friend, Fr. Froilan Carreon, a priest from the Archdiocese of Lipa, who I first met in 2011 during the Beatification of John Paul II. He explained to me the choice of name of the new Pope. (Although the Holy See’s explanation came later the next morning, Fr. Froilan and I were convinced that the name was taken after St. Francis of Assisi and not St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit.)

It was almost 10:00PM local time and the Square was almost empty, as if nothing spectacular had just taken place a few hours, or minutes, ago.  Finished with our news-gathering and a new stand upper to go with it, my cameraman and I headed “home.”

On the taxi ride to the hotel, I was rung up again by the office, this time to have a phone conversation with the hosts of the morning show, which started at 5:00AM in Manila. The report went for a good 20 minutes with all the show’s 6 or so hosts asking a question or two. After all, another page of history, not just the Catholic Church’s history, just unfolded.

My cameraman and I finally arrived at the hotel, with our pants and feet still soaking wet.

I took a quick shower, put on some warm clothes, and tried to digest what had just happened in the last 5 hours.

“Did I really witness that?”

"Did I really report on the election of a pope?”

“Was I really reporting from the Square, witnessing history with the rest of the world?"

It was another dream come true.

I realized, I could have died right there and then.

As a matter of fact, I should have died right there and then.

And had I died, I would have been at peace.

After all, I just received the Apostolic Blessing...

From no less than Pope Francis himself.