Father Roderick Reports from St. Peter’s Square

I am planning a post to run later tonight with the names and Twitter handles of friends of mine who are on the ground in Rome, covering firsthand the news of the Conclave – some are fulltime media professionals, and others are like my friend Fr. Roderick Vonhogen from the Netherlands and of SQPN, who is a priest and social media enthusiast. Here’s one of his videos form today giving us a closeup look at the environment in St. Peter’s Square.

Honestly, I prefer these types of views through the eyes of my friends and folks I know and trust to glossy, overproduced segments from corporate media. Don’t get me wrong — I’m thrilled that all of the major networks are devoting so much time and attention to covering the Conclave. It’s just that seeing these moments through the eyes of my friends, through the lenses of their iPhones and hearing their own emotion at being physically in Rome at this historic time is simply priceless. You?