Chance trip to Rome during the papal conclave twenty years ago

What we did during the two days of the 2005 conclave

The papal conclave to replace Pope Francis will start in one week on May 7th. Rome will be quite a busy place.

By chance we scheduled a trip to Rome twenty years ago in April 2005 at the time of the papal conclave to replace Pope John Paul II. Rome was quite a busy place.

Here’s a video of what we saw in Rome during the two days of the 2005 conclave, along with some CNN and Fox News clips.

On the first day the video shows our morning visit to the Vatican Museum , and an afternoon visit and Mass at the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary Major, which is where Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday.

Ticket to visit Vatican Museum

As part of the Vatican Museum tour our excellent tour guide tells us about the Sistine Chapel especially since it was closed that day because of the conclave.

On the morning of the second day we visited the Scavi (Vatican Necropolis) and the Basilica of St. Peter.

Ticket to visit the Vatican Necropolis (“city of the dead”) below St. Peter’s Basilica

Many left the Basilica to be outside before noon to observe the conclave election result, which turned out to be “black smoke” indicating no new pope had been elected.

An afternoon visit to St. John Lateran Basilica and Mass ended with a quick return to St. Peter's Square to witness Habemus Papam (we have a pope), and the introduction of Pope Benedict XVI, after “white smoke” was seen at the Vatican before 6 PM.

The St. Peter's Basilica Loggia of Blessings (Central Balcony) at 1 PM and six hours later at 7 PM on April 19, 2005

On the day before leaving Rome I walked the stairs to the top of the dome (cupola) of St. Peter’s Basilica. The view was spectacular. The graffiti was a surprise.

St.Peter's Dome provides a spectacular, panoramic view of Rome. Surprisingly, and sadly, there was graffiti way up there.

The trip is a memory of a lifetime.