A conservative pope

Tuesday, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was chosen to become the 265th pope.
By Peter Ford and Sophie Arie

VATICAN CITY - Roman Catholics around the world reacted with a mixture of shock and joy to the announcement Tuesday evening that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, one of the most conservative and doctrinally orthodox of the church's cardinals, had been elected as the next pope.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0420/p01s04-wogi.html


Benedict XVI will test religion's 'red-blue' divide

In his first homily Wednesday, he pledged 'sincere dialogue' with all believers.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0421/p01s03-woeu.html


China presents tempting, elusive target for Pope Benedict XVI

HONG KONG (AFP) - Breaking through half-a-century of enmity to re-establish relations with China may be the greatest diplomatic challenge facing Pope Benedict XVI as he takes on the mantle as leader of 1.1 billion Roman Catholics worldwide.

Fixing broken ties with China would spread the new pontiff's spiritual realm to the world's most populous nation, home to 1.3 billion people. But it is precisely that global influence that scares Beijing. Read article here .

Some Jews in Israel Wary About New Pope

JERUSALEM - Some Jews in Israel professed concern over the choice of Joseph Ratzinger as pope because of his German origins and links to the Nazis of World War II - especially by comparison to his predecessor - but others say the new pontiff's record over the last six decades is more important than his youthful affiliations. More