A Papal Shoutout

So many things to say about Rome really. I feel overwhelmed at the task of relaying back what an incredible place it is. Kim and I looked through our Rome pictures, trying only to choose good ones, and two hours later we uploaded something like ninety photos. Each one has a story, but one of my favorites happened when we went to St. Peter's Square on Sunday for the Pope's weekly blessing.
We had been to the Vatican twice before this, but Sunday's atmosphere was certainly different. Everyone was waiting excitedly for the Pope to appear in his window, about 5 stories up and 800 meters from the crowd. He appeared to a great cheer from the crowd and commenced his blessing in Latin.
I'm obviously not a Latin scholar, but I could tell when the important part was happening, the sign of the cross, something about patri and spiritu sanctu. He then spoke a few words in some other languages I recognized. Then the strange part. It went something like this, "Gibberish gibberish gibberish BARCELONA!" Big cheer from a small section of the crowd. "Gibberish gibberish gibberish MADRID!" Big cheer from a different small section. I said to Kim, "I think the Pope is giving a shoutout!" It went on. And on. More gibberish and then a city name that we could understand, followed by small groups cheering wildly. It was at this point that the occasion of going to be blessed by the Pope changed suddenly from solemn religious event into cheesy rock concert, and consequently into one of my favorite memories!