NEW YORK, APRIL 19, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Bishops in various countries quickly welcomed news of the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope. Here are excerpts from some of the press statements released today. Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow, Scotland
I know the new Pope personally. I have had the honor of meeting him several times over the years in Rome. He is a very humble, personable man, quite different from the hard-line “enforcer” image which is often portrayed of him.
He is a man of great theological ability, linguistically talented, kindly of manner and of enormous pastoral and administrative experience. He was of course very close to Pope John Paul, knew his mind, and
collaborated very closely with him. But he is his own man, and will bring his own gifts to the papacy, to the Church and the world.
He will speak and write with a clear voice. He showed in his sermon at the late Pope’s funeral that he had the gift of communicating with vast crowds. He spoke simply, directly and movingly. Many who had only
known him as the great enforcer were surprised at his kindly, gentle, affectionate words that day.
The choice of name is interesting, and I would say, inspiring. The last Pope to bear that name, Benedict XV, was a man of enormous humility who spent himself in the cause of peace. I think we may find a clue to
the style of pontificate we are likely to see in that choice of name.
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Cardinal Keith O’Brien
Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland
It has been a great joy for me to share with my brother cardinals in the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, he is a man of deep spirituality, a renowned theologian and a wonderful choice as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
The election of a Pope is a time of joy and hope for Catholics in Scotland and around the world. I am sure that Scotland’s Catholics and all people of goodwill in our country will join with me in asking God’s fullest blessings on our new Pope — his greatest title is perhaps the most simple, “Servant of the servants of God”; may he indeed serve all peoples as Christ served and did his holy predecessor pope John Paul II.
May our new Pope work for peace throughout the world following the example of his earlier predecessor Pope Benedict XV who died at the time of the First World War.
St. Benedict is one of the patron saints of Europe; may he inspire us as we remember Europe’s Christian roots and may our new Pope also keep before his own mind and ours the final words in St. Benedict’s rule; ‘Place no one before Christ.'”
