LONDON, Day Two, Part Three: A Day to Remember

This is a short one. I can’t forget to show you the beautiful flowers from the Flower Mart stand on High Street in Earl’s Court from today. Have I mentioned I love flowers and Gardens? <winks> I didn’t buy any, but I sure did admire them.

In my last post I had arrived back at my hotel after the Victory in Europe celebrations. I thought my day was done. I turned on the TV to the BBC while I prepared to eat my dinner.

The first words I heard were, “We have white smoke.”

As world leaders go, I admired Pope Francis for being a champion for the poor and an outspoken advocate for human rights. He died the day after Easter, Monday, April 21, 2025. The conclave to elect a new pope began yesterday, May 7th, in Rome. Here it was the next day, and I turned on the tele to find out we had a new pope.

Ordinarily, I would not have had the television on during the day back home and by the time I heard, it would have been old news. So I sat listening to the analysis and speculation on who it might be, in real time. I took photos of the TV in my room. I was watching history—after seeing such ancient history earlier this day.

The whole thing took me by surprise and I wept when Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV was announced. I am not sure why, but it probably was part relief that the church had not selected a conservative, that he was the first American born pope and that he would provide a sharp contrast with the current corruption in Washington. Maybe it was a combination of visiting the ancient Catholic Temple Church which had been consecrated on the 10th of February 1185, more than 840 years ago. Having received a blessing and prayer for PEACE from the priest at the Temple Church.

Reflecting on the Magna Carta that was signed at the Temple, which set out the rights of the people, independent from their sovereign. My conversation with the barrister on the appeals court about the law, politics and who would succeed Pope Francis and the overall sense of celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE day May 8th, 2025 in London—and I so far away from my home and reflecting on those coming back from WWII and those that were never to return. It pulled at all sorts of threads of the day together and left me dumbfounded.

In addition we had recently watched the 2024 movie “The Conclave.” It doesn’t matter what your religion or lack thereof—as a voice for reason and caring, a Pope can make a difference. A day I will not soon forget. Yes, Virginia, there are a few miracles still out there…happy to have been witness to a few.

Kelly Wheaton ©2025 – All Rights Reserved