Watching history in the making

April 7, 2005
By Wendy Heithoff
Editor in Chief

It was hard to avoid the constant news coverage of the dying pope over the past few weeks, and as it became more certain that soon the world would grieve over the death of Pope John Paul II, I couldn’t help, but become wrapped up in the story.

Watching endless hours of pictures from Rome, where the most common shot was that of the papal apartment windows was not what captivated my attention.

It was the thought that here was history in the making. It is the first time in our generation’s lifetime that we have seen the process of electing a new pope. It is one of those moments that you can’t help but watch because it is history before your eyes. At times it is more captivating than any story because you never know when the next news tidbit is going to appear on the screen.

This is not to say that we haven’t seen history in the making before. As kids in high school or junior high we watched as the world dealt with the death of Princess Diana. Strangely enough, I still remember where I was that night; babysitting and watching Saturday Night Live. The Spice Girls were the music guests that night and all the sudden a news report broke in. I remember thinking what a sick skit for SNL to run, but it soon became clear that this wasn’t a skit.

In the weeks surrounding the death of Princess Diana, another public figure died. Mother Theresa’s death came shortly after the death of the princess, and didn’t receive the news coverage it should have.

And of course we all lived through the terror which was Sept. 11, 2001. This will probably be one of the events that will mark our generation. There is no doubt in my mind that everyone on this campus has their own story about where they were on the morning of Sept. 11 and how they were informed of the tragedy that struck our country.

And now we stand at another historical moment in our lives. For those individuals who are Catholic, this process may be even more intriguing. Whether your knowledge about the selection of a new pope is vast or limited, it is fascinating to see the process and hear the stories of the tradition that accompanies this process. Cardinals from around the world are sequestered in the Sistine Chapel as the cast their ballots for the new leader of the Catholic Church.

But the fascination is not limited to Catholics. Anyone who has been to the Vatican can relate to the people standing in St. Peter’s Square. Visitors who have stood in this famous square have seen the papal apartment windows that were the focus of much of the news coverage during the final days of former Pope John Paul II’s life.

Soon the funeral will be over and the process of choosing a new pope will be under way. We will watch the pomp and circumstance which accompanies this event in the Catholic Church, but after the celebration dies down only two things will remain. A new pope will lead the Catholic Church and the world will wait to see what changes his papacy will bring.

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