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THE GERMAN POPE
Joseph Ratzinger Is Selected to Lead Catholic Church
The cardinals of the Catholic Church on Tuesday selected Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger as the new pope for the world's 1 billion Catholics. He will take the
name Pope Benedict XVI. Despite his role as a controversial figure in Germany,
Ratzinger's selection is being greeted by many here as a tremendous national
honor.
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Though he long served as a close confident and theological soul-mate to John Paul II and was respected in Germany as a major religious figure, Ratzinger has also been a lightning rod for controversy here, in a country where large portions of the population split from the Catholic Church to follow the Protestant teachings of Martin Luther. And even among the country's millions of Catholics, Ratzinger's conservative, traditionalist positions have long been viewed with reservation. He has proven unwilling to compromise on Catholic policies against the ordination of women, he preaches strict sexual morals -- including the church's anti-homosexuality stance and its demand that priests remain celibate -- and he opposes any loosening of the church's staunch opposition to abortion.
Those positions have proven unpopular with many Germans. A poll taken by DER SPIEGEL earlier this month found that 36 percent of Germans outright opposed the selection of Ratzinger as pope compared to 29 percent who supported him.
A huge honor
Nevertheless, Tuesday was a day of celebration in Germany. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in Berlin that Ratzinger's election to the pontificate was a "huge honor" for his country. Ratzinger, he said, is a theologian of great standing who is appreciated around the world. He also said he would be a worthy successor to Pope John Paul II. Schroeder then congratulated Pope Benedict XVI in the name of the government and the people of Germany.
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"That a German has been elected as pope is a moment of pride, it is an honor," said Angela Merkel, the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union and Germany's most-powerful female politician, who described Ratzinger's selection as an "historical" moment.
But Ratzinger also has his share of critics here. Albert Beisinger, a prominent theologian at the University of Tuebingen, warned Tuesday that Ratzinger's selection could lead to polarization within the church, as it will be perceived as a decision in favor of an interim pope and against undertaking major reforms within the church. Lately, Ratzinger has expressed a willingness to undertake small reform steps, but the question is how big those changes will be.
Hans Kung, a respected German theologian and critic of Vatican policies whose license to teach was withdrawn by the Vatican in 1979 as a result of his criticisms against church policies, said he was "disappointed" by the decision. However, he compared it to an American presidential election and said people "should allow the pope 100 days to learn."
In Ratzinger's hometown of Marktl am Inn, people took to the streets in celebration. The town's mayor, Hubert Gschwendtner, told the media: "We Marktlers are proud to have produced someone like (Ratzinger) and to be able to be honored by the fact that he has now become the globally recognized leader of the Catholic Church."
A fast-moving career in the church
Ratzinger's career in the Catholic Church has been characterized by a fast and steep rise. Born the son of a policeman, he studied theology and philosophy at universities in the cities of Freising and Munich and became a priest in 1951. He later taught at the universities of Bonn, Muenster, Tuebingen and Regensburg, but left Tuebingen during the height of the student protest movement in 1968. In 1977, Pope John Paul II appointed him as archbishop of Munich and Freising, and soon after elevated him to the status of cardinal.
In 1981, the pope appointed Ratzinger as the leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith at the Vatican, making him the watchdog for Catholic orthodoxy. The role also made him Pope John Paul II's right-hand man, and the two were known to meet every Friday for private discussions. Since 2002, he has served as the Dean of the Cardinal College and he led the conclave that ultimately selected him as pope. During the peak of Pope John Paul II's illness, Ratzinger stood in for him in giving the annual Easter service at St. Paul's Square last month. His reputation was also strengthened by the sermon he gave during John Paul II's funeral. Ratzinger, who has often been seen as a cold, calculating tactician, found heartfelt words for the pope and received enthusiastic applause from the millions who had converged on Rome to remember John Paul II.