The smoke rose over St. Peter’s Square on March 13, 2013, not in the thick, acrid black of a failed conclave, but in three crisp white puffs—an unmistakable signal. The College of Cardinals had spoken. After two days of secret deliberations, the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics would soon have a new shepherd. Yet few could … Read more
The white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney at 7:58 PM on March 13, 2013—an event that would reverberate across continents. For the first time in modern history, the College of Cardinals had elected a pope from the Americas, a Jesuit, and a man whose humility was as striking as his name: Jorge Mario … Read more
The smoke rose over St. Peter’s Square on March 13, 2013, not in the usual white signal of a new pope, but in a pale gray haze—an accidental mix-up that became the first of many anomalies in the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Within minutes, the world learned of a pope from the “ends of … Read more
