Preferisco il paradiso: “I prefer heaven.” Northwoods Catholic School 8th graders chose this quote from St. Philip Neri for their Rome trip motto. Not only was it on their sweatshirts, but it became their chant and song at last Wednesday’s general audience with Pope Francis.
Set on seeing the pope up close, they stayed up late the night before working on a large “preferisco il paradiso” sign and woke up for the early train to St. Peter’s.
After being jostled through security by the crowd gathering for the audience, they staked out seats near the isle baracade. At the beginning of the audience, as the pope circled through St. Peter’s square, he passed by right in front of them, met by the enthusiastic singing of the “preferisco il paradiso” song from the St. Philip Neri movie they’d watched before the trip.
At the end of the audience, Pope Francis began greeting those in the reserved seating near at the front of St. Peters, to both sides of the papal tent. The Northwoods group was down below, at the bottom of the stairs, with the rest of those gathered for the audience.
When they realized he wouldn’t be coming back down and around in the pope mobile, the 8th graders jumped into action. The moved up closer to the front, taking the places of people leaving. Then they began to chant, cheer, and sing. And people began to join in.
For two hours, non stop, they persistently and enthusiastically called out to Pope Francis: “Papa Francisco, te esperamos- te amamos” (Pope Francis, we are waiting for you- we love you”, “Padre Jorge” (his name as a priest), “preferisco il paradiso”, others that they knew from ECyD, and then those they spontaneously created.
And they kept going. And going. They wanted to be heard.
As time passed, people continued to join in. Swiss guards softened and smiled. Nuns turned around and wondered who these kids were. Photographers approached, and the security guards began whispering amongst themselves. After over an hour and a half of their joyful persistence, and the pope nearer the end of the line of people to greet, the pope mobile was wheeled from the side exit to the front barricade, right in front of the Northwoods kids. He would be coming right down to them.
They shout and sang all the louder. As Pope Francis finally neared, with a huge smile on his face, they broke out again in song: “preferisco il paradiso.” He climbed into the pope mobile, gave his blessing, and exited the square.
Hoarse but ecstatic, the Northwoods 8th graders left St. Peter’s having experienced the joy of being witnesses of love for the Pope and Church and with having spread this experience with others.
