Catholics have new Pope: Benedicto XVI

VATICAN CITY, El Vaticano, April 19, 2005

 At exactly 5:50 on the afternoon of April 19, 2005 white smoke began to billow Taxi Heathrow Airport out of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel Chimney, a sign that a successor to Pope John Paul II had been chosen.

Shortly thereafter the bells of Saint Peter's Basilica rang out and 45 minutes later, when thousands had congregated in the Saint Peter's square, Chilean Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina came out on the Vatican balcony to announce "Habemus Papam" and that the new Pope is Joseph Ratzinger, who will lead the Church as Benedicto XVI.

After a Polish pope, today the Catholic Church has a German pope. For nearly 500 years, all popes were Italian. Ratzinger, born 78 years ago, was considered a favorite candidate for the more conservative sectors of the Catholic Church. He collaborated with Pope John Paul II as head of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican body responsible for enforcing Catholic doctrine.

The name Benedicto has been used by several popes. Benedicto XV was Italian,born in 1854. He died in Rome in 1922, after seven years and three months as Pope. He led the Catholic Church during World War I and lobbied for world peace.

After his election was announced Benedicto XVI went out onto the balcony and praised his predecessor. He said he would work in the Vineyard of the Lord, with the help of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

The election apparently took place in the fourth or fifth round of voting on the part of the 115 participating cardinals. Yesterday, after the inauguration of the conclave, one round of voting took place with no concrete result, similar to the two rounds held this morning. A candidate needs two thirds or 77 votes in order to be proclaimed Pope. Two rounds were planned for the afternoon and it is not clear if Ratzinger was elected in the first or the second round.

In his homily, before the conclave began Monday, Ratzinger called on Cardinals to defend a firm and conservative Church, capable of confronting Marxism, liberalism, libertinism and the sects. He made a critical analysis of modern society, in particular relativism which he described as the ideology that rejects all absolute truth, all certainty.