Asia looking at the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square
Many Filipinos in the crowd are waiting for the smoke that will announce the end of the conclave. Many hope for Tagle, but “let the Holy Spirit do its work.” An Asian pope would represent great hope for the continent. Indian nuns pray for peace with Pakistan, like Pope Francis did.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – When Archbishop Diego Ravelli yesterday pronounced, "Extra Omnes!" and the doors of the Sistine Chapel closed to the world, outside the high sun of the late afternoon warmed up like in the best spring days.
A round of applause rose from the people who were looking at the giant screens in St Peter's Square. Even in the media centre in Via dell'Ospedale 1, among dozens of journalists, someone clapped their hands nervously, while holding their breath.
Among the people "outside”, an air of celebration and lightness could be felt. The grief that reigned in Via della Conciliazione for the loss of Pope Francis had given way to hope.
"Not before 7 pm" were the instructions. By then, some 45,000 people had gathered in St Peter's Square and adjacent areas to witness the first smoke of this Conclave, predictably black, but in any case historic.
People from all over the world were present, enjoying the warm sun on a day that also saw scattered rain showers, many from Asia.
As black smoke billowed out at 11:52 am this morning, the see is still vacant, leaving people near the Vatican and around the Earth waiting for a new leader to show how not to get lost in these "difficult, complex and tormented" times, as Cardinal Re said in the Vatican Basilica.
Yesterday, with all eyes looking in one direction, the sun went down just behind the most famous chimney in the world. A blinding light, as if to say: "Fear not!"
Many overseas Filipinos could be found in Piazza Pio XII, waiting for this universal experience near the media centre with its 6,000 accredited journalists from 90 countries and every continent.
AsiaNews spoke to some, like Melba Lawrie, 60, as well as Agnes and Joe Batucan, 55 and 57, Philippine nurses who moved to Scotland in 2003, holding on to the barriers that delimit St. Peter's Square, quivering with emotion.
“We are lucky because we were in Rome on a pilgrimage, and on this occasion we will also be witnesses of the new pope,” said Melba Lawrie. A member of the Couples for Christ (CFC) movement, she was not shy about whom she would like to see become the next pope.
“We met Cardinal Tagle in England, in Sunderland," she explained. “He is Filipino, and for us it is as if he were a brother, it is a bonus. But everything depends on the Lord. And being pope is certainly a great responsibility.”
“Pope Francis has been very committed to vulnerable people," Agnes Batucan added. “Cardinal Tagle is also on this line. Like Jesus, he has always loved the poor, the homeless, the marginalised. But everything is in the hands of the Holy Spirit."
For Joe, “An Asian pope would be fantastic. But now, more than choosing, it is time to discern who the best pope is for this world, to manage the big issues."
Other Filipinos looked around curiously, lost in a crowd that became thicker as time went by, always in the square in front of St Peter's.
One of them, David Mortera, 72, immigrated to the United States many years ago, living with his family in South Carolina. He too, speaking to AsiaNews, went straight to the point.
"We feel great joy because one of our cardinals is among the main contenders, so we are here to support him,” he said. “We hope he is chosen. He would represent great hope for Asia.”
He did not know Tagle personally, who became a priest when he and his family had already moved overseas. “But we read about his good deeds in the Philippines. Like Francis, he supports innovations in the Church, and this is also why he gave him his full confidence."
Vincent Cabutad, 24, a Philippine seminarian studying pastoral management and theology in Rome since August 2024, is more cautious.
“Of course I know of the potential of our cardinals, in particular Tagle, to become pope. But as a religious I would say to let the Holy Spirit do its work," he explained. “Becoming or being pope is not easy. I hope that whoever he is cares about the issues of our time: that they pay attention to LGBTQ+ people, that they are committed to peace. In short, I hope for a progressive pope.”
Shortly before 7 pm, a layer of clouds covered the sun, almost hiding it behind the Vatican buildings, so that the eyes could relax, a temporary relief for those who thought that too much light might not allow them to see clearly the colour of the smoke.
As Via della Conciliazione began to fill up, from St Peter's to the nearby Piazza Pia, those present faced a wait of about two hours, until black smoke started to come out at 9:01 pm.
Yuto Higuchi, 22, a Japanese from Chiba Prefecture, has been travelling in Europe for two months. He is currently passing through Rome, and as one of the many curious people, he wanted to be here in person.
“I'm not Catholic, but I wanted to see the smoke. I am very surprised by the number of people. In Japan there are few Christians, we are not very familiar with these facts.”
Shinichiro Kondo, 28, also from Japan, is a medical student at La Sapienza University in Rome: speaking to AsiaNews he said he was in the piazza to witness an "unrepeatable event". "I will be back tomorrow,” he said after the first smoke. “I really like the Filipino; I don't think the Japanese cardinals have many chances."
Sister Vinaya, 40, of the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ, an Indian from Kerala, spoke to AsiaNews after the smoke, as people were quickly drifting away, tired after the long wait, some sitting on the pavement.
“We have been waiting since 6 pm," she told AsiaNews, pointing to the small group of nuns with her. “After so long we had hoped for a different outcome. We are very excited. We expect the next one to be a simple pope.”
Speaking about recent tensions between India and Pakistan, she said: “We are very saddened. Pope Francis prayed a lot for peace; now we do it, following in his footsteps.”
The sun at this point had completely set, hinting at a longer wait, with other stories, other hopes.
Another religious, Fr Giuse (Joseph) Ngo, a 43-year-old Vietnamese, a student of moral theology at the Lateran University, told us: “I am a Redemptorist and in this conclave there are two cardinals from my institute." They are the American Joseph William Tobin and a young Ukrainian, Mykola Bychok.
“I hope one of the two is the pope. For me we need a pastor who is not too progressive, who maintains tradition,” he said. “In Vietnam Catholics are 7 per cent, and we really want an apostolic visit.”
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