Waiting for Smoke | Musings from Rome

Hello my blogolite friends.

I am standing in St. Peter's Square as I type this and am stunned by what I am witnessing.

Let me set the scene; it is pouring out and it is cold. I am not hesitant to call it raw out. My guess is it is below 50 degrees. Around the square the Vatican has set up huge monitors and are broadcasting live coverage of the Cardinals inside the Conclave. The square is a sea of umbrellas. 

Thousands of people are surrounding the monitors to be part of history. The bad weather and cold can not deter these people. This is their faith and they are here to show solidarity with the Cardinals that are charged with making this difficult decision.

Inside the colonnades are thousands of people who await the puffs of smoke that will signify whether or not a Holy Father has been elected.

I was touched as I passed a group of seminarians praying the rosary together as they looked up at the smoke stack.  You may notice some young people on the side and in the back who just walked up and started praying with them.  As I write this more people are joining and their voices are getting louder on the square.  Just beautiful.

We are living in historic times. May god guide all of us as we pray for the Cardinals.

Your Friend,

Jay

We have a conclave! | Musings from Rome

Hello to all you blogolites!

A date has been set for the Conclave. It will start this Tuesday afternoon. In the morning the Cardinals will celebrate a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica.

It has been with much prayer and anticipation that the faithful have awaited this decision. The Cardinals from around the globe have been meeting with each other to discuss issues and concerns that need to be examined in the Church. It seems as though there has been much discernment and reflection before they decided on a date. A time and date was not the issue, but coming to a consensus of what needed to be addressed and taking the time to understand first what the questions that should be asked must be, and then the answers to those questions had to be developed and scrutinized.

The Vatican is a tiny country surrounded by Italy. But this small country has the attention of the world.

That focus will be intensified starting on Tuesday and grow with each moment that a pope is not named. There is an excitement and a sense of wonder as we await the decision of the Cardinals on who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church.

Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit guides these men in their deliberations.

Your Friend,

Jay

Where is Kevin? | Musings from Rome

Hello to all my blog friends! Well it has been a busy day in Rome. 

 

Father Chris O'Connor from the Archdiocese of Boston is leading a pilgrimage through Poland and Rome.  I had the chance to briefly catch up with them in St. Peter's square and they are a wonderful group. 

 

Aldona, the Director of the Master of Arts and Ministry program is on the pilgrimage as well as students from MAM and the TINE program.  It is clear that they are having a blast.

 

Father Chris never slows down and they have a full schedule.  I spoke to several of the Pilgrims and one of the first questions they asked was, "where is Kevin?" I found this funny because Kevin asks the same question.  Just kidding Kevin!  (OK, he really does ask that question but I don't want to hurt his feelings.)

 

After meeting with the pilgrims from Boston, Tim and I were off to the NAC.  We found out that the Cardinals had decided to halt all press conferences so the 2:30 taping was out.  That however did not slow us down. 
 

Thanks to Msgr. Burrill we were able to interview 4 seminarians and a priest who were from different dioceses across the country.  What a group of outstanding young men.  I couldn't help but think that these are the future leaders of the Church.  If that is the case we are in good hands!  Watch for a special with these men soon on the CatholicTV Network. 

 

From the NAC, Tim and I went to St.Peter's for the prayer service.  I told a person from ABC News that Father Reed was supplying commentary for CatholicTV.  I met Terry Donilon and Greg Tracy, and also Angela Flood from the Archdiocese of Washington there by happenstance. 

It was a beautiful service and I was struck when I saw 2 nuns kneeling on the stone floor.  There was a great crowd all participating in the service.  Another wonderful day in the very rainy city of Rome.  That is right-- it's pouring, and without an umbrella I am now a soaking mess.  Time to dry off.

 

Thank you for reading my blog!

 

Your Friend,

Jay

Close Call | Musings from Rome

Last time I wrote you may remember that I was rushing to get to St. Peter's to do a live Skype interview with Father Reed and Kevin. It had been a very hectic day and time was not a luxury that I had. 

 

I would like to set the scene at St. Peter's.  It is swarming with pilgrims and tourists.  The surprising fact is that most of the people visiting are relatively young.  It's refreshing to witness so many people filled with their Catholic faith. 

 

Surrounding the square are the press.  Not just a few press people, but hundreds.  There have been over 5,000 press credentials given out for this event.  The press hover on the outskirts of the square, never crossing the invisible line to get inside.  They bounce around from one end to the other. 

 

If one does cross into the square they quickly are greeted by the ever present security.  The greeting is not pleasant but always brief.  It consists of a request for credentials, and if the press person does not have them, they are politely but firmly asked to leave. 

 

It's amazing how many security guards there are on the square.  Some drive in small cars, some are in uniform and on foot, and some are undercover. 

 

It was in this environment that I did my live feed inside the square.  I did it with my iPhone.  I held the phone out, arms length away, with St. Peter's behind me. 

 

As I did this security was swarming my area watching me closely.  My arms grew tired from holding the camera and I was fearful that I would be asked to leave during the interview.  If you watch the "This the Day" interview, you will see that I am looking around constantly. 

 

 

During the interview people could hear Fr. Reed and Kevin on my phone and could see me talking so some started to gather.  It was stressful, but fun!  That's all for now.  More to come later so stay tuned and I hope you keep reading. 

As an aside, as I've been writing this, an elderly Italian man keeps singing as he cleans the area I am in during these early am hours.  He is very happy this early in the morning and I have to admit that it put a smile on my face.

 

Stay well.

Your Friend,

Jay

Church on the Ground - a new series from CatholicTV

Introducing Church on the Ground, a new CatholicTV series exclusive for YouTube!

We're kicking off the series in Rome and bringing you updates and insights from Catholics on the ground in Rome for the 2013 Conclave.

Check out our first segment, with Sebastian Gomes of Salt + Light TV. He thinks that this Conclave is an important opportunity for our Church. Find out why:



We'll be uploading new segments every day until Conclave ends, so keep your eye on youtube.com/catholictv for the latest videos.

To stay updated on all of our 2013 Conclave coverage, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Time crunch! | Musings from Rome

This afternoon I had an interesting experience and it was even a bit nerve wracking! 

Tim and I finished taping the press conference with Cardinal O'Malley and Cardinal Dinardo on the grounds of the Pontifical North American (NAC) at 3pm and we planned to walk to St. Peter's to do a live Skype interview with Father Reed and Kevin for This is the Day. 

Well Father Jonathan Gaspar was kind enough to ask if we would like to interview Cardinal O'Malley.  How could we say no?  It could be our last chance with His Eminence's busy schedule and the looming Conclave. 

The Cardinal was wonderful.  He was gracious and gave us time even though I know he had other appointments. 

We finished the interview and I looked at my watch.  It was 3:55!  I told Tim to meet me at St. Peter's and off I ran.  It's about a 10 minute walk but I had told the crew back at CatholicTV that I would call in at 3:45 to make sure all the technical issues were worked out. 

I made my way through the streets of Rome, though the traffic and through my anxiety.  But here's the kicker-- this was the calm part. 

I will write about my experience in St. Peter's Square and why my heart rate skyrocketed in my next blog post.  I hope you can read it.

Stay well and keep Tim and I in your prayers and know we will remember you in ours.

Your friend,

Jay 

Vibrant Church | Musings from Rome

It was a long plane ride to Rome today.

We landed at 7:10 Rome time and caught a cab to the hotel.  Tim and I put our luggage in our rooms and we were off and running. 

As we moved through the narrow streets of Rome you could sense the excitement among the many people who inhabit this ancient city.  There is a buzz in the air and you can see people talking and pointing to the press and to St. Peter's Dome.  They all know that history is at hand and they feel part of the change. 

Our first stop was to get our press credentials.  Msgr. Tighe, a friend of CatholicTV, met us and made the process much easier.  The press office itself reminded me of a bee hive.  People moving in all directions in and out of the front doors.  It was constant motion and we had to watch our step so we did't get caught in the traffic flow--not of cars, but of humans. 

We left the press office and met with Father Rosica and Sebastian.  Father Rosica is in charge of Salt and Light Television in Canada and is in Rome to assist Father Lombardi with the press.  Both he and Sebastian were kind enough to tape interviews with us. 

St. Peter's is overrun by press.  It made me think of the role of the Catholic Church in the world.  This is not a Church in decline but a Church that is alive, vibrant and relevant.  Some try to diminish the Church because they disagree with the teachings. They want the Church to ebb and flow with societal change.  But the Church stands with the teachings of Christ.  Its foundation is solid. Its beliefs are not negotiable based on polls or the popular thinking at the time.  It is a rock. 

We are now off to press conferences and a live interview for This is the Day.  More to come from Rome my friends.  Thank you for reading my musings.

Your Friend,

Jay

Honoring Pope Benedict XVI

THE CATHOLICTV NETWORK TO AIR SPECIAL PROGRAMMING HONORING POPE BENEDICT XVI

 

WATERTOWN, MA (February 11, 2013) On Tuesday, February 12, 2013 the CatholicTV Network will air special programming honoring Pope Benedict XVI, after his resignation, set for February 28, 2013.

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” Pope Benedict XVI told the cardinals. “I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering.

“However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

 

The CatholicTV Network will air a special episode of House+Home: Papal Household. CatholicTV had the chance to go inside the walls of the Vatican, into Pope Benedict XVI's private residence and captured intimate details of his daily life. This will air at 11AM ET. This program can also be watched on www.YouTube.com/CatholicTV.

The CatholicTV Network will also air Benedict XVI: Love Affair with the Truth, a program from Rome Report which takes a look at the life of Joseph Ratzinger and the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI at 11:30AM ET followed by Pope Benedict XVI – My Vatican, a documentary on the Pope’s daily life at the Vatican at 12:30PM ET.

As CatholicTV receives additional information from the Vatican, we will update you on CatholicTV and www.CatholicTV.com.

 

CatholicTV
Shannon Muldoon

Public Relations Coordinator

617-923-0220