BOSTON (WHDH) – Two American visitors in Rome found themselves in the middle of history Thursday, witnessing a moment that captivated the world.
Both of them were there when white smoke signaled the election of the new pope, the first American pope in history.
A teacher from Quincy, standing in the crowd as cheers erupted through the city.
He says he didn’t expect the election to happen so soon.
7’s very own Rob Way, his fiancé Evan Gillis, happened to be on a two day vacation in Rome after a work trip in Poland.
Gillis told 7NEWS what started as a detour, turned into an experience of a lifetime.
“I made it to the square and I grabbed onto a street sign, and I had a view of everything that was going on, and the energy was electric,” said Gillis. “I mean, I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like the whole world was coming together in one unified group.”
“Thousands of people began to pour into St. Peter’s Square, so that was really exciting,” said John Guinan, of Xaverian Brothers High School. “And then it was just the anticipation to see who would walk onto that balcony.”
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