As the bells of St. Peter’s rang clear and revealed truly that the smoke was white and the pope elected—as they rang, so did all the bells of the hundreds of churches around Rome. The sound had to have been deafening. But the sound harkened all believers and all non-believers to the Square. “COME!” the church bells announced to the world, “FOLLOW ME! WE HAVE A SUCCESSOR OF PETER TO WELCOME!”

Everyone rightfully listened. In a matter of minutes—literally, minutes—20 thousand people in St. Peter’s Square became 200 thousand people.