www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/19/pope.tuesday/index.html
VIEW RESULTS VOTE VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has been selec ted by the Roman Catholic church as the new pope. Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez of Chile made the announcement to a cheering crowd in St. Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI, appeared on the balcony of the Vatican Basilica to greet the people and deliver his first papal blessi ng. "Dear brothers and sisters, after our great pope, John Paul II, the cardi nals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard," accord ing to a translation of remarks he made in Italian. "I am consoled by th e fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insuffi cient tools, and I especially trust in your prayers. "In the joy of the resurrected Lord, trustful of his permanent help, we g o ahead, sure that God will help. And Mary, his most beloved mother, sta nds on our side." Once the archbishop of Munich, Germany, and for many years prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Ratzinger, 78, was one o f the most powerful men in the Vatican and is widely acknowledged as a l eading theologian. Ratzinger served for 20 years as John Paul II's chief theological adviser . As a young priest he was on the progressive side of theological debates b ut shifted to the right after the student revolutions of 1968. In the Vatican, he has been the driving force behind crackdowns on libera tion theology, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional moral teac hings on issues such as homosexuality, and dissent on such issues as wom en's ordination. The dean of the College of Cardinals since November 2002, he was elevated to cardinal by Pope Paul VI in June 1977.
Profile) White smoke, bells Earlier, white smoke rose from a Sistine Chapel chimney and bells rang Tu esday, signaling the selection of a new pope. The crowd clapped and waved flags as the smoke began to billow over Vatic an City about 5:50 pm (11:50 am ET). Suspense built as the throng waited for the symbolic ringing of bells, at which point the crowd broke into a roar of jubilation. The conclave of 115 cardinals had voted three times previously -- once Mo nday night and twice Tuesday morning -- before selecting the new pope. The cardinals' morning ballots were burned at about 11:50 am (5:50 am EDT). Chemicals were added to the ballots to turn the smoke white or black. Pope John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84, had decreed that white smo ke be accompanied by the ringing of bells, to avoid a repeat of the conf usion after his election in 1978. Ratzinger needed two-thirds of the votes to be selected. In Ratzinger's hometown of Traunnstein, Germany, seminary students happil y reacted to the news.
Full story) Speculation rife There has been a great deal of speculation about who may be chosen to suc ceed John Paul II, who died April 2 at the age of 84, but cardinals have been mum. Some taking part in the conclave said they are looking for a leader who p resents a hopeful vision, who can "generate some dynamism and some optim ism within Catholicism," CNN Vatican analyst John Allen said. The first clues to the process of finding a successor were sought during the homily or sermon delivered by Ratzinger at Monday's public Mass. "Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism," Ratzinger said. Allen said Ratzinger delivered a "very blunt" message for the church to " stay true to itself." John Paul was widely credited with extending the reach of the papacy. He spoke more than a dozen languages and set an unprecedented pattern of pa storal travel, drawing huge crowds all over the world. He was also strictly traditional on issues of sexuality and the role of w omen in the church, which won him support among some Catholics but alien ated others. Similar disagreement exists over the next pontiff's stances on issues such as birth control, stem cell research and the ordination of female priests.
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