Pope Benedict XVI

Well, what do I know? I insisted to my wife yesterday that the media "favorite" never gets selected by the Cardinals to serve as the next pope. The media was talking up Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Besides, I said, he's 78 years old. After the last few years with John Paul the Great being sickly they will go with someone a little younger.

The cardinals assembled and quickly chose the man I said had no chance of being selected. He picked Benedict XVI as his papal name.

Pope Benedict XVI is expected to closely follow the path laid out by his immediate predecessor, John Paul the Great. He was probably as closely aligned with Pope John Paul II as any of the cardinals. They got to know each other during the Second Vatican Council in the 60's and during his papacy Cardinal Ratzinger was his closeest confidant. Both his supporters and detractors point to his conservatism. I think people are misreading him based on his previous positions as Dean of the College of Cardinals and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.


Let us all pray for Pope Benedict XVI and the Holy Catholic Church!


Other links:
Who was Benedict the XV
He already has a fan club?
Pope Benedict XVI bio