Many of San Benito County’s more 11,000 Catholics rejoiced as
the white smoke drifted from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel
signaling Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany had been elected
pope of the Catholic Church Tuesday morning.
”
We were lost without a spiritual guide,
”
said Father Rudy Ruiz, pastor of Sacred Heart/St. Benedict
Catholic Church.
Hollister – Many of San Benito County’s more 11,000 Catholics rejoiced as the white smoke drifted from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaling Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany had been elected pope of the Catholic Church Tuesday morning.
“We were lost without a spiritual guide,” said Father Rudy Ruiz, pastor of Sacred Heart/St. Benedict Catholic Church. “We believe it was divine inspiration. Now we have a spiritual leader and spiritual guide. We need someone to guide us to the life, truth and way or we get lost.”
While many San Benito County Catholics are glad that a new pope has been elected, it is too early to know how Ratzinger’s infant papacy will affect the local church.
“I don’t know if it has any impact here,” said Ed Degroot, a former priest who is the business manager of St. Francis retreat in San Juan Bautista. “Our bishop (Sylvester Ryan) is the person directly responsible for what happens in the diocese here.”
Some parishioners hope that Ratzinger will take more modern stances on issues like birth control than his predecessor did. But because of his traditionalist reputation they are doubtful that he will.
“I’d like to see him be a little bit more liberal,” said Marcella Harris, a parishioner at St. Benidict Catholic Church. She added that the church has pulled away from too many people because of its traditional stances.
Ratzinger chose the name Benedict XVI and called himself “a simple, humble worker.”
If the new pope was paying tribute to the last pontiff of that name, it could be interpreted as a bid to soften his image as the Vatican’s doctrinal hard-liner. Benedict XV, who reigned from 1914 to 1922, was a moderate following Pius X, who had implemented a sharp crackdown against doctrinal “modernism.”
Benedict, which comes from the Latin for “blessing,” is one of a number of papal names of holy origin such as Clement (“mercy”), Innocent (“hopeful” as well as “innocent”) and Pius (“pious”).
Ratzinger served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In that position, he has disciplined church dissidents and upheld church policy against attempts by liberals for reforms. He turned 78 on Saturday.
In the Vatican, Ratzinger, emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he waved to a wildly cheering crowd of tens of thousands and gave his first blessing as pope. Other cardinals clad in their crimson robes came out on other balconies to watch him.
“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.”
The crowd responded by chanting “Benedict! Benedict!”
The new pope had gone into the conclave with the most buzz among two dozen leading candidates. He had impressed many faithful with his stirring homily at the funeral of John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84.
It was one of the fastest elections in the past century: Pope Pius XII was elected in 1939 in three ballots on one day, while Pope John Paul I was elected in 1978 in four ballots in one day. The new pope was elected after either four or five ballots over two days.
“It’s only been 24 hours, surprising how fast he was elected,” Vatican Radio said, commenting on how the new pope was elected after just four or five ballots.
Ratzinger is the first Germanic pope since monarchs imposed four men from that region in a row in the 11th century.
“He’s been out of Germany for so many years it’s hard to think of him as a German,” Degroot said.
The eventuality of a non-European pope, possibly one from Latin America, is becoming more clear.
“I think maybe the next pope may be (non-European),” Ruiz said. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Luke Roney covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
