Tuesday, April 19, 2005
The new Pope
The 264th successor to Saint Peter, and therfore the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He has chosen the Papal name of Pope Benedict XVI. May God guide his steps and give him courage, which he will certainly need while shepherding the Church into the 21st century. The final vote came on only the second day, and the fourth ballot, of Conclave, which is almost unprecedentedly short for a Papal Conclave. The new Pope is appearing on the balcony as I type these words, arrayed in pontifical glory. St. Peter's Square is filled to absolute capacity plus. If these words sound drippy and overexuberant, they are, and I won't apologize ;) I was a teenager the last time there was a Papal election, and there is a definite expectation in the air now as we all wait to see whether this Pope will follow in the footsteps of the man already being popularly acclaimed as John Paul the Great.
