German Cardinal Is Elected Pope--First German Pope in 1,000 Years

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany was elected as the Catholic Church's new leader and assumed the papal name of Pope Benedict XVI.

Benedict XVI is much older than when John Paul II was elected; he's 78. The last pope to be in his upper 70's when he was elected was back in 1730.

And yes, he is an ultra-conservative. Many liberals around the world are dismayed over the new Pope's stand on abortion, homosexuality, female priests, celibate priests, the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, and other polarizing issues. Conservatives are pleased that the church won't be undergoing radical changes and will continue to fight against secularism and will not give in to so-called "liberal" Catholics who want to "modernize" the church.

Some people don't seem to realize that the cardinals are dead-set against relativism and chose a man who would fight it tooth and nail. People also have to understand that the cardinals did not want another long reign and so chose an older man as the pontiff.

Also, because Pope John Paul II's reign was so long, his influence will be felt for a long time to come. To have a more liberal pope at this time would have risked splitting the church even more than it is already. By introducing change more slowly, the church can adapt better in the long run, instead of rocking the boat so soon after John Paul II's death. That's what some of the cardinals are saying.

For those who were hoping for a Latin American, African or Asian pope, they still might. But in the meantime, Benedict XVI is the rightful leader of the Catholic Church and deserves the religious allegiance of the world's Catholics.

May his voice protect the innocent and defend the weak; may he use his his strength as the leader of a billion Catholics worldwide to continue the church's opposition to polarizing issues (abortion, death penalty, gay marriage, etc), and resist the same type of secularization that has taken hold of some of the other Christian religions.

Finally, may he take steps to bridge the gaps between Catholics and Jews by opening up the Vatican archives of Pope Pius XII to scholars to settle the matter of the Holocaust. Only after the truth is known can there be moves toward settlement of differences between the Vatican and the world's Jewish people on this divisive issue. For this pope to come out and directly apologize for the Vatican's inaction during World War II would mean a great deal to the survivors.

The smart money says this pope will live up to his reputation on some issues and bend a bit on others. Changes will probably be minimal, but new ways of thinking about issues may come out. This man is said to be a brilliant theologian, so the church may reflect that in it's thinking.