The new Pope is the Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, and his first assuring words issued as Pope Benedict XVI were that he was "a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord".
Yesterday (Tuesday April 19, 2005) Ratzinger emerged on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City where he waved to a wildly cheering crowd of tens of thousands and gave his first blessing as Pope, according to an AP report.
"The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers," the new Pope said.
Ratzinger served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In the Pope's hometown of Traunstein, Germany, a room full of 13-year-old boys at the St Michael Seminary that the pontiff attended as a youngster jumped up and down, cheered and clapped as the news was announced.
The traditional white smoke is used to announce a Pope's election to the world. It was one of the fastest elections in the past century: Pope Pius XII was elected in 1939 in three ballots on one day, while Pope John Paul I was elected in 1978 in four ballots in one day. The new Pope was elected after either four or five ballots over two days.
Desiderata: I'd pray for a long and productive reign under Pope Benedict XVI that hopefully would see his humble work bearing fruit for a more peaceful, caring and serene world. Amen.
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