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Wall Street Journal

Leo XIV's Road From Chicago to Rome

White smoke. The cardinals moved quickly, after only four or five ballots. Is that a good sign? But the smoke is white, and people came running, and the crowd in St. Peter's Square burst into sustained cheers, with chanting and then laughing, and the huge ancient bells began to ring. On the Vatican feed the camera panned the crowd and you could see the flags of all the different countries, and get a sense the whole world was coming, and in spite of myself I felt moved and hopeful because you never know in life, it renews itself, surprising things happen. The crowd was dominated by young people wanting something to follow, something to love. If that isn't moving—the old church trying to renew itself—then nothing is moving. 'Oh let it be a great man,' I thought, so many thought. 'Let him cheer the world up.'