Don’t worry Papa

We arrive in Florence on Saturday and SWKB is anxious to go to mass, Saturday evening is her favourite time. It avoids messing up Sunday, for sure. At about 6:30 we arrive at the south east door of the Duomo, and find a mass in progress; strange since it was scheduled to start at 6:30. There are large TV screens including one outside in the Piazza del Duomo which show the proceedings. This looks like it is going to take a long time, so SWKB asks an official what is going on and reports back that the Pope is dead. There is a long sermon going on with occasional applause throughout the cathedral, but not much crying. This is a strange reaction for Italian Catholics on such an occasion; however, we go along with this explanation.
Back at the hotel, SWKB asks the receptionists if they know that the pope has died. No one is aware of this sad news. “Who told you this?” and “Were they speaking Italian?” Eventually, the comment was made: “don’t worry, we can make a new pope!”
It turns out that the occasion was the appointment of a new arch bishop, since the previous one has died some time ago.