The new Pope takes over

Pope John Paul II had served for 26 years, the third longest service in the history of the papacy, and the first from Poland. He is the most traveled Pope in its history and has been a visible symbol throughout the world. When ill health restricted his movement and he became target of assassins, he started traveling in his "papamobil" with its plastic bulb top. In his battle against death, his spirit never flagged and he managed to make a last appearance at the window of his Vatican and bless the faithful. His funeral became a grand event attended by monarchs and heads of state from near and far. It has been truly said that Pope John Paul II went to the people throughout the world and the whole world came to his funeral.

Once the funeral was over the world braced for the election of a successor. Contrary to expectations of a prolonged process among the 115 Cardinals, the election was surprisingly smooth, and at the end of four ballots, with the passage of barely 24 hours, white smoke rose from the Chimney of the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Shortly thereafter, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who had donned the Papal name of Pope Benedict XVI was presented to the cheering crowd before the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI is 78 and was born in the Catholic-dominated Bavaria region of Germany. He is not expected to match the 26 years of his predecessor. However, he is German and is reputed to enjoy good health. I recall that in post Second World War Germany, the 80 year old Adenauer took over as Chancellor, ruled West Germany with a firm hand, and with his friend Charles de Gaulle of France put a firm stamp on Europe, which we see today as the powerful European Union.

Whereas Pope John Paul II took the medieval papacy to the modern age, he made no compromises on the question of divorce, opening the doors to female priests, homosexuality, or contraception. The new Pope is reported be a firm believer in "the Doctrine of the Guardian of the Church."

Pope Benedict XVI has the reputation of being close to John Paul II, and there is speculation that he may not bring about changes to the Vatican, which would bring it closer to the modern world.

He is the first German Pope elected in over a thousand years. Opinion was sharply divided in Germany regarding the new Pope. Whereas some felt a little pride in having a German Pope, others denounced him in severe language. Bernd Goehring, Director of the German Ecumenical Group Kirche von Unten termed the election '"a catastrophe" and predicted that "even more people will turn their back on the Church."

People around the world got to know about Catholicism thanks to the indefatigable traveler and ambassador, Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II maintained a running dialogue with all faiths and gave them their due. Interfaith understanding will remain one of the monuments of Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI is expected to build on it.

On Sunday, April 24,Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass in front a crowd surpassing one hundred thousand, and the bells of the Vatican chimed heralding that the Pope is dead and a new Pope has taken over. Havemus Papam.

Arshad-uz Zaman is a former Ambassador and Acting Secretary-General, OIC.