Cardinal Cupich meets Chicago students who recreated papal conclave

Cardinal Cupich meets Chicago students who recreated papal conclave

Cardinal Blase Cupich visited the Chicago school that became a viral sensation for holding a mini conclave while the real thing was going on in Rome.

CHICAGO - Cardinal Blase Cupich visited the Chicago school that became a viral sensation for holding a mini conclave while the real thing was going on in Rome.

He shared what he experienced during the papal conclave and saw how students of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy interpreted it all.

Mini conclave goes viral

The backstory:

Students re-enacted the mini-conclave that made them famous worldwide. Their dramatization of what went on behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel went viral.

It was their attention to detail, the tiny Swiss guards on duty, the voting process and the reverence for ritual that people noticed. The little cardinals did take a goldfish cracker snack break but otherwise, it was accurate.

In the original portrayal, there was even a puff of white smoke and the newly elected pope came to the window. The school went wild.

It was the ultimate preparation for the arrival of Cupich, who took part in the real thing. Cupich told the students, "That was good, except for one thing, we did not have a snack break. We did not get fish crackers."

What they're saying:

Cupich took questions from the kindergartners through fourth graders. One asked what they talked about during the conclave and if they asked each other, "Do you want to be pope?" He said he did not ask but if he did, most would say, "No, I do not want to be pope. Think about it, your life as you know it is over."

"It was amazing meeting someone who was in the real conclave and has a connection to Jesus in a special way," Fourth grader Ines Martins said.

Nine-year-old Eli Allen said, "Seeing him, he’s a great guy and has inspired a bunch of kids."

Cupich invited the kid cardinals to join him at the White Sox’s Rate Field when Pope Leo addresses Chicago on June 14. He said Pope Leo will have a special message for young people and he asked them to pray for him and the Pope.