White smoke rose over the Vatican at daybreak this morning. Two hours later, the windows of St. Peter's Basilica were flung open, and local Reverend Craig Stephen White was announced as the new pope.
The news came as a surprise to most Vatican observers, as tradition holds that the conclave of the Sacred College of Cardinals that decides the Catholic Church's new leader should not begin until between 15 and 20 days after the previous pope's death. Pope John Paul II died on April 2, just nine days before the announcement.
"John Paul II always believed that the Church must keep up with the times, and this was just one of his many innovations," said Cardinal Bernard Law, the former archbishop of Boston, in a press release. "He recognized that modern air travel would permit the cardinals to reach Rome long before 15 days and eliminated the minimum start date for the conclave."
Perhaps even more surprising than the early announcement, though, was the selection of White. Vatican rules mandate the pope be a Catholic, but White is anything but. He's barely Christian. In January of last year, White was sentenced to three years in jail on the charge of soliciting sex from a teenage boy. He is scheduled to be released from jail on May 1 for good behavior, however, and will be present at the coronation ceremony in Vatican City on May 5.
Brother Stephen, as the new pope is often known, is no stranger to the Penn community. Many students remember him from when he used to patrol Locust Walk, megaphone in hand, denouncing bystanders as "sinners" and "whores."
At the time, his trial captivated Penn's campus due to his notoriety as a vocal critic of gays, Jews and Muslims.
Law said that while White may seem like a controversial choice, his fervent, dedicated support of the Church made the decision easy for the cardinals.
"He has been flying under the radar for some time now, but many of us have admired his strong convictions and willingness to bring the word of God to such hives of sin as University City, Philadelphia," Law said. "He embodies everything I became a priest to be."
Law resigned from his position as the archbishop of Boston following a 2002 sexual abuse scandal.
Penn professor James McNeil, an expert on the papacy at Penn, said the choice of White caught him by surprise.
"I would have expected a more mainstream candidate, such as Cardinal Ivan Dias," he said.
Dias is the archbishop of Bombay, India.
Many Catholic students were not sure quite what to make of White's elevation.
"I'm just a little shocked by all this happening so quickly," College junior Sam Sommers said. "This is a really emotional time for me, and the Catholic community in general. I don't know what to think."
Wharton freshman Tim Gonzalez was critical of the decision.
"I can't believe they passed up the opportunity to nominate someone really special," Gonzalez said. "I mean, this guy is a bigot and a pedophile. It's almost like some sort of joke."
Sue Harte, acting director of the Newman Center at Penn, had mixed feelings about the decision but was ready to give White the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, I wouldn't say he was our first choice," Harte said, citing "innate differences" between the Cardinals and the rest of the Catholic population. "But we'll accept the decision of the cardinals, and give him all the respect a pope deserves."
