On Thursday, history was made when Pope Leo XIV became the first U.S.-born pope in the history of the Catholic church.
Chuck and Annette Walker from Orange County were at the Vatican to witness the historic moment. The couple went to Rome after learning of Pope Francis’ death.
Annette, who's the president of City of Hope in O.C., recalled to KNX News the moment she saw the white smoke.
“It was just a little after 6 o'clock and it was very, very warm and then all of a sudden, the smoke went up and you hear this, like, giant roar and yelling and clapping and dancing, and the bells start ringing,” she said. “It was just amazing, the electricity and energy that was in the square.”
The couple said the square filled up pretty quickly.
“When the white smoke actually came … we probably figured there could have been 65 to 70,000 people that were all standing, again waiting for the smoke,” Chuck said.
“By the time the bells start[ed] ringing all over Rome to tell people the pope's been elected, the square was full, as was the whole street that leads into the Vatican from three directions,” Annette said. “I don't know how many people were there in the end, but it was a pretty massive crowd.”
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Chuck, who coaches basketball at Santa Margarita High School, recalled the moment he and Annette learned the new pope was an American.
“All of a sudden, these two Italian priests that we were standing next to, the one goes, ‘it's an Americano,’” he said. “And so we go, ‘gosh, it is an American pope.’ So everybody was surprised.”
“We didn't believe it at first,” Annette said. “It's like we couldn't have heard that right. That can't be right. Who was that?”
She added that the crowd was quick to embrace an American pope.
“They started chanting and yelling, ‘We have a papa!’” she said.
Chuck and Annette said overall, the trip did not disappoint.
“[I’m] glad Annette said, ‘hey, let's go,’” Chuck said. “It exceeded all expectations.”
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