Faithful in Rome welcome new pope
By Tammy Oaks for CNN
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was welcomed by tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists packed into St. Peter's Square as he emerged as the 265th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
"Ratzinger was a strong candidate and definitely a good choice, but I didn't think he would be selected so I am surprised but very happy," local resident Nazario Tantalo said.
In his first appearance as pontiff, Ratzinger, 78, told cheering crowds: "After the great pope John Paul II, the cardinals have chosen me, a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord."
The crowd erupted at the mention of his predecessor's name. Many pilgrims feel Ratzinger, who chose the name Benedict XVI, is a good choice to lead the church because he shares the conservative views of the late pontiff and is expected to continue John Paul's strict orthodox legacy and reject changes in doctrine.
French Lieutenant Larchet of Saint-Cyr said: "Ratzinger is a very good choice because he will walk in the path of John Paul II. I am very happy for the church and for humanity."
Polish priest Krzysztof Biros, who resides in Rome, echoed the same sentiment saying he thought "the line and work of John Paul II [would] continue under Ratzinger."
Ratzinger has gained his own fans, however. The intense media coverage of him since John Paul's death -- delivering the funeral homily and presiding over the conclave -- has allowed people to become more familiar with him and his doctrine.
Michal Solomieniuk, a Polish priest living in Rome, said he was impressed with Ratzinger when he heard him speak at the homily on Monday and hoped then he would become the next pope.
Before the cardinals began the conclave, Ratzinger delivered a sermon in which he issued a stern warning against "a dictatorship of relativism, which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires."
Rodrigo Serrano, a priest from Chile, said he was moved by Ratzinger's homily: "I heard him describe the characteristics needed in the next pope, and I think he fulfils all of them."
And Moira Ricci said: "Ratzinger is great because he knows how to think of religion in a modern way and how to explain it in a simple way."
Many Roman Catholics in developing worlds had hoped the new pope would be someone with an intimate knowledge and understanding of the challenges they faced. But for many gathered in St. Peter's Square, Ratzinger's nationality was unimportant.
"We are not disappointed that Ratzinger is from Europe rather than from the Americas because we are full of faith, and Ratzinger is full of faith," Priest Jorge Lopez of Mexico said.
Fabrizio Falcinelli, who brought his family to take part in the historic event, said: "His nationality is not important. A person's heart is important, and Ratzinger has a good one."
For some onlookers it was not the College of Cardinals' choice for pope that was surprising but rather that it only took two days to choose a successor.
"I am really surprised we already have another pope. I didn't think it would be that easy to choose someone to follow John Paul II," Mirko Calignano said.
