For the past week, the news industry’s attention has been concentrated on Vatican City as the world mourned Pope Francis.
All the major news networks offered live coverage of the Pope’s funeral, which took place during the early morning hours on Saturday. MSNBC anchor Chris Jansing was among the reporters on the ground, having covered the papacy for many years. Beginning May 5, she’ll anchor a two-hour edition of MSNBC Reports at noon ET covering the conclave that will choose the new pope.
Following the funeral, Jansing spoke with TVNewser about recent Vatican City events and what’s next for the papacy.
You have covered the papacy for many years. What made Pope Francis different from his predecessors?
It’s been 20 years—and three popes—since I began reporting on the major Vatican moments. Francis’ papacy has seen tremendous external change; during his 12 years, technology transformed reporters’ ability to cover him in real time in travels around the world—65 countries! And I think people get it right when they say Francis has a cinematic quality, warm and approachable. Those qualities, at a time when so many feel the world is in chaos, are probably why he had approval ratings any politician would envy.
It’s been nearly a week since you landed in the Vatican. Can you explain the atmosphere on the ground?
The first reaction after his death was shock. Francis had been in St. Peter’s Square just the day before for Easter. Now, at the end of the week, it feels more like a pilgrimage. People tell me they feel called to pay their respects, to thank him. And for many, to witness history.
Why is the Pope still revered and important and why is papacy coverage warranted?
In sheer numbers, of course, Pope Francis led the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Catholics and was the world’s most recognizable religious leader. What you learn when you walk the line of mourners, though, is that it is filled with non-Catholics, too. I’ve spoken to Protestants, Buddhist, Jews, and agnostics who speak with great admiration for him, and who often told me he represented hope for things to be better. I heard that word a lot this week—hope. I heard a lot of people say, We need that now.
Is there something unique that caught your eye during Pope Francis’ funeral?
For me, it’s two images. The lone nun, a decades-long friend of Pope Francis standing in an area around his coffin that was always reserved for men. Her raw emotion—and the deference paid—was deeply moving. And then there was a little girl whose mom asked her if she wanted to say goodbye to the Pope. She did, and they waited in line for hours because that little girl said she wanted to ask Francis to say hi to her grandfather, who had died. It’s a great privilege to do this job, to witness history and tell these stories. And no matter how big the story, it’s usually individual people who stick with me.
