Spider-Man NL Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories CTV.ca News Staff Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany is the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church -- elected after just a handful of ballots. He has taken the name Pope Benedict XVI. Ratzinger, 78, appeared shortly after the vote at the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to greet the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims below. They chanted "Benedict! Benedict!" as he emerged. "Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in the Lord's vineyard," the new Pope said, according to a text of his statement. "I am comforted by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and act even with insufficient instruments. And above all, I entrust myself to your prayers." Newly-elected Pope Benedict XVI will hold his official inaugural Mass on Sunday, April 25, said Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. Ratzinger, who was a close confidante of John Paul, was picked on the second day of voting at the Vatican by 115 cardinals. He was considered the frontrunner going into the conclave. While the vote came quickly, it took some time to confirm the election of a new pope on Tuesday afternoon. When the smoke began to pour out of the makeshift chimney on the Sistine Chapel, it appeared to be white. But the bells did not begin tolling right away, leaving many wondering what the result of the vote was. Because of the confusion over previous ballots, journalists were hesitant to call the vote either way. Despite that, a cheer went up from the thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. Several minutes after the smoke appeared, the bells in Vatican's Sistine Chapel began to move. Vatican Affairs correspondent Gerry O'Connell, reporting from Rome, said that from his vantage point, he could see people running through the streets to get to the Vatican as the bells rang. "It is one of the great joys of the city," O'Connell told CTV News. "Children, old people, young people -- they are all trying to make their way to this square." The Enforcer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33_ Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 My best friend is on a study-abroad and is in Rome right now, and he was there for a couple failed votes, and got there just minutes after the new pope was elected. What an amazing experience that must have been for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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