2008 Woodie Awards
Ratzinger declared pontiff
First German pope in centuries
Rachel Nelson
Issue date: 4/22/05 Section: Issues
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White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistene Chapel Tuesday to signify the election of the 265th pope. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 78, of Germany named himself Benedict XVI. He has been described as the Roman Catholic Church's leading hard-liner.
It didn't take long for the cardinals to reach a decision. With the election consisting of four or five ballots over a two-day period, it was one of the fastest papal elections in the past century.
According to an article released by NewsMax.com, Vatican Radio stated, "It's only been 24 hours, surprising how fast he was elected."
Tens of thousands of people greeted the new pope by chanting, "Benedict! Benedict!"
The crowd cheered as the pontiff gave his first blessing.
"Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me - a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord," he said after being introduced by Chilean Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estivez.
"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. "I entrust myself to your prayers."
Business administration major James Daugherty has been a Roman Catholic since birth and said he feels confident in the selection of Ratzinger.
"I have faith in the cardinals that elected him. When he was a cardinal, he was what they call a 'hard-liner.' He stays true to the doctrine," Daugherty said.
AC maintenance man Chuck Gensen said he thinks the cardinals made a good choice as well but said he was surprised at the age of Benedict XVI.
"I think he's going to last about 10 years, and then they'll move on to somebody else," Gensen said.
Al Garcia, an AC facility worker, said Ratzinger was a good choice for the new pontiff but that he would have preferred a pope from South America.
"There are more Catholics there than anywhere else in the world," Garcia said.
According to the Roman Catholic faith, Peter was the first pope appointed by Jesus in the Bible.
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)
Other branches of Christianity dispute the claim.
In Tom Faulkner's article, "Examining the Pope from the Bible," he states, "After Peter had died, there were two more popes in office before the last book of the New Testament was written. But not one word about them in scripture, and nothing about any election of a special bishop to become pope."
Although Benedict XVI was elected earlier this week, expectations of his position are on the rise.
"I expect him to carry on what John Paul II did," Garcia said.
"I expect him to bring back the old traditions and values to support the morals of the doctrine of the faith," Daugherty said.
"I also expect him to bring justice to victims of molestations."
Molestation allegations plagued the Catholic Church during the last years of John Paul II's papacy.
"He got the Catholic Church through a tough time in a good way," Gensen said.
Though another pontiff was quick to be chosen, the legacy of Pope John Paul II will not be forgotten.
"He set a new precedent by traveling around the world. He made the Catholic Church a more powerful source to be reckoned with," Daugherty said.
The media-savvy religious leader was one of the most-seen people in the world because of the eruption of the information age. Even people not of the Catholic faith were affected by his death.
"When he passed on, I was kind of emotional to it even though I didn't know him," said pre-vet major Natalie Hudson.
"Just to see how important he was that so many people's lives were affected by him."