In the end, the frontrunner, and a man closely tied to the late Pope John Paul II, became the new Pope: Germany’s Cardinal Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 78, the Vatican’s guardian of doctrinal orthodox — a man who called himself a “simple humble worker.”
Over the past few days speculation centered on whether the new Pope would be someone from Italy, Asia, Africa — someone who wanted change or cherished tradition. But Ratzinger’s name always came up as someone who seemed best suited to offer continuity from Pope John II. MSNBC reports:
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, a hard-line guardian of conservative doctrine, was elected the new pope Tuesday evening in the first conclave of the new millennium. He chose the name Pope Benedict XVI and called himself ‘a simple, humble worker.”
Ratzinger, the first German pope since the 11th century, emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he waved to a wildly cheering crowd of tens of thousands and gave his first blessing as pope. Other cardinals clad in their crimson robes came out on other balconies to watch him.
“Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me — a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord,” he said. “I entrust myself to your prayers,” the pope said.
The crowd responded by chanting “Benedict! Benedict!”
Ratzinger served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In that position, he has disciplined church dissidents and upheld church policy against attempts by liberals for reforms. He turned 78 on Saturday.
The new pope had gone into the conclave with the most buzz among two dozen leading candidates. He had impressed many faithful with his stirring homily at the funeral of John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84.
Bells ringing from the Vatican earlier confirmed that cardinals had reached a decision and that, along with white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, caused crowds in St. Peter’s Square to chant, “Viva il Papa!” or “Long live the pope!’
The square quickly filled up as thousands of people began streaming in as word of the decision spread.
The full text of his brief remarks is here.
So in the end a man was picked who was very close to one of the most beloved and mass-media-friendly Popes of all time — and some expect Ratzinger could score well on that front as well after his modest but forceful debut as Pope:
Ratzinger stepped onto the balcony at 6:49 p.m. (12:49 p.m. EDT). The crowd applauded as he waved . He wore the white skull cap reserved for popes and a red mantle over his shoulders.
“Dear brothers and sisters. After the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me,” Ratzinger said.
Some spectators waved handkerchiefs of yellow, the color of the papacy. Cardinals looked on from a side balcony.
Ratzinger delivered the traditional blessing in Latin to “The City and the World.”
There’s lots of information about Ratzinger on the Internet and elsewhere. He is not some obscure Cardinal. For instance, here are a few sections from a BBC documentary page:
To some, he is the Catholic Church’s intellectual salvation during a time of confusion and compromise. To others, he is an intimidating “Enforcer”, punishing liberal thinkers, and keeping the Church in the Middle Ages. Certainly, in the world’s largest Christian community the Pope”s prefect of doctrine, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, cannot be overlooked.
And, further down:
While many theologians strive for a Catholic Church that is more open and in touch with the world around it, Ratzinger’s mission is to stamp out dissent, and curb the “wild excesses” of this more tolerant era.
He wields the tools of his office with steely efficiency. By influencing diocese budgets, bishops’ transfers and even excommunications, what an opponent calls “symbolic violence”, Ratzinger has clamped down on the more radical contingent of the Church.
And this:
Personally charming, quick-witted and fluent in four languages, the Cardinal is a convincing orator. When Ratzinger served the Second Vatican Council for three years from 1962, he supported reform. His own background, however, perhaps sheds light on his need for a Church that stands firm against the currents of change and political shifts.
Schooled in the Nazis’ power of rhetoric during his childhood in Bavaria, Ratzinger later deserted the German Army during World War II, only to be sent to a POW camp when the Allies reached his hometown.
Later, as an eminent theologian lecturing at Germany’s premier faculties, he was horrified by the Marxist ideologies that punctuated campus small talk in the late 1960s.
Since then, Ratzinger has pursued doctrine that can endure, independent of cultural or social trends. He argues that only with a completely separate values system can the Church offer individual freedom. His critics call this “papal fundamentalism”, but Ratzinger is unflappable in his personal theology.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.