Having just returned from Rome for a few days before the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV, I want to offer some thoughts on my experience in attending the funeral of Pope Francis and in participating in the conclave. Two images come to mind. First, as I stood on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking the square and the adjoining streets, I was struck by the enormousness of the crowd. It stretched all the way down to the Tiber River. People of every language, culture and age, especially young people, formed a mass of humanity that was embraced by the arms of the square’s colonnades. Here we saw the potential that opens up to us when each of us puts aside our differences and remembers that there is so much more that unites us than divides us. Surely, the value of human solidarity was punctuated when the 133 cardinals, hailing from 71 countries, were able to unite in selecting the Successor of Peter in less than 24 hours. Could not the world be inspired by that message to take up the path of peace in this moment when a world war is waged piecemeal? The second image that has stayed with me was the procession into the Sistine Chapel at the start of the conclave. We joined the choir in singing the Litany of Saints. That experience impressed upon me the solemn task before us cardinals, and that we were undertaking it on behalf of the church and the world. Yet, it also left me with the consolation that we were not alone, for the entire church, the Communion of Saints, was with us as we called on the Spirit of the risen Lord to inspire us in electing the next bishop of Rome. I also felt encouraged by and grateful for the knowledge that Chicagoland Catholics were back home praying for us too. In a word, participating in the conclave was a deeply moving spiritual experience. In due time, I will have more to offer, as I am quite certain that this fresh moment in the life of the church and especially what it means for the United States, especially here in Chicago, will bring so many new possibilities and graces in proclaiming the Gospel. Pope Francis often spoke about the significant and transformative nature of the current time. “We are not in an era of change, but a change of an era,” he said. The changes we are experiencing are not minor adjustments, but rather a fundamental shift in how things are, and will be. As I think about the election of Pope Leo XIV, I now see how prophetic those words really were.