A historian’s first visit to Rome was a historic one
First impressions and a final goodbye
I had never, until this past May, been to Rome, or for that matter, Italy. I found myself in the Eternal City to pay my respects to Pope Francis and to chronicle my experience of the conclave. I soon learned how many of us from around the world had come to do the same.
Early on I met a young bicyclist couple — Noemi and Richard — who had churned all the way from Milan, 60 miles a day for four days, to say goodbye to Pope Francis.
“He was near the people,” said Noemi. A Catholic teacher from San Paolo School outside Milan, she came with her class to meet Francis the day before he was hurried to the hospital. I suggested she might have been among his final visitors.