The chair of Peter may be empty, but the Vatican is still full.
The Vatican’s economy is based on tourism. Each year, the Vatican brings in around $300 million from pilgrims and tourists, which includes revenue from the Vatican Museum.
In the days leading up to the conclave, pilgrims and tourists alike take refuge in the shade of the colonnades surrounding St. Peter’s Square.
Anna Lamai, who planned a trip from Germany months ago, sat on the colonnade steps looking up at the great basilica.
“We’ve never been to Rome,” she told America. “Everywhere has been breathtaking.”
Ms. Lamai is not a religious person, but she described entering churches in Rome as a “magical experience.” She added, “You don’t have to be religious to enjoy beauty.”
Her impressions of Pope Francis come entirely through media reports: “That he was a good guy. I’m not too much into it, but he did great things.”
Ms. Lamai hopes the next pope will continue to advocate for peace and noted in particular care for children and those suffering illnesses.
Rosa and Juan Vigorra rested after lunch along the Villa della Conciliazione, unopened packages of cookies within arm’s reach. The couple from Barcelona had previously traveled to Rome in 1975 and then again in 2008. There were fewer people here, Juan said.
“When we prepared the trip, I did so in November without realizing it was a Holy Year,” he said, with a laugh. “And then the pope dies, with everyone coming for the conclave.”
The couple changed their reservation from a hotel near St. Peter’s Basilica to one near Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major to avoid the crowds. That didn’t work out. Pilgrims have been visiting Pope Francis’ tomb at the basilica ever since they arrived.
The two are passing through Rome on vacation and will continue to southern Italy. But they are practicing Catholics and were fans of Pope Francis.
“I hope it continues as it’s going. We don’t want a change in the church,” Juan said. “Francis was a bit on the left.”
“It seems to you!” Rosa interjected.
“He spoke directly. We like this a lot,” Juan said, before adding he wouldn’t mind if the next pope came from Asia.
“Not all of these people are religious, but something is there,” Juan said of crowds gathered at the Vatican. “There’s something magnetic. Even if people say they don’t believe, there is something…something is calling them here.”
Something attracted Samer and Iman Abudhaher. Samer is from Jordan, and Iman is from Lebanon, but the married couple lives in Germany. Neither is religious. They watched pilgrims here for the Jubilee of Hope make the long walk to St. Peter’s Basilica.
“It’s nice to see people from all over the world coming here,” Samer said. “Religion is good for giving people hope, something to look forward to, something to look up to. And the pope was a good example of that, regardless of your religion.”
Iman considered Pope Francis to be more open than his predecessors.
“We’d like for that to continue, as well as his emphasis on peace,” she said. “Whatever is happening in the Middle East, we’d like the good message of peace to continue.”
Johannes Aarts and Mariela Van Esch rested near a gift shop for pilgrims, but they aren’t religious either. They had planned their trip from the Netherlands before the pope passed away.
“There is so much to see in Rome, even outside of the religious part,” Mr. Aarts said. “It’s a very interesting European city. That’s why we chose Rome. The whole city is like a museum. In Amsterdam, you could see all the important parts in one day.”
Ms. Van Esch noted that many religions coexist in the Netherlands. “It is very multicultural,” she said.
Both had a positive impression of Pope Francis.
“I had the idea that he was more down to earth than previous popes and tended to break down some of the previous protocols,” Mr. Aarts said. “He seemed to make better connections with people nowadays.”
He would like the next pope to do the same, but he doesn’t think it will make much difference in terms of religious observance, especially in the Netherlands.
“The church is losing people, for all sorts of reasons,” he said. “I don’t see [that] there’s anything they can do differently. Times are changing, and religion has less of an effect on people’s lives.”
Not far from the Dutch couple, New Yorkers Donna and Tony Funaro sat drinking water. They are in the middle of a 26-day European excursion, and neither had been to Rome before.
“We did not know there was going to be a jubilee,” Ms. Funaro said. “And we certainly didn’t expect the pope to have passed. That complicated some things—mostly the disappointment that we could not see the Sistine Chapel.”
Still, she said, seeing the ancient architectural feats of Rome gave her goosebumps. “The paintings, the sculptures, it’s mind-blowing,” Ms. Funaro said. “At home, you can’t get a door to swing properly!”
“I marvel at Rome. It’s an incredible city to go through,” Mr. Funaro said, adding that the people he’s met are quite friendly. “We’re Italian, so we love it.”
Both were raised Catholic, but the trip wasn’t meant to be a religious one. They are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Their son married a man five years ago, and they have a grandchild who was born through in-vitro fertilization and surrogacy.
“They are not recognizing my family,” Ms. Funaro said of the church. “Why? That’s harmful. It pushes away loving people. And it pits people, one against another. And we have enough of that going on in the country.”
They admire Pope Francis but hope the next pope will be even more open.
“I’m hoping that the new pope will take Francis’ thoughts and bring them further,” Mr. Funaro said. “That we are all one people, no matter who you are. And there is no such thing as someone who can’t be in the church because of a sexual orientation or because they weren’t married in the Catholic Church.”
Rosana Barrientos came to Rome from Chile with her daughter. They did not see Pope Francis when he visited their country and had hoped to see him here.
“It’s strange to be here without a pope. It’s like being an orphan without the Holy Father,” Ms. Barrientos said.
She hopes the next pope will also be close to the people, like Francis, and promote the faith in a way that is understandable.
“He was closer to us because he is from our continent,” she said. “We would love another Latin American pope, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”
Still, she believes the Holy Spirit will direct the conclave, so anything can happen.
