2008 Woodie Awards
Pope Benedict XVI steps up as Pope
Lawrence Mudduse
Issue date: 5/7/05 Section: News
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About 40 minutes after the election, an elderly Cardinal emerges at the balcony of St. Peter's. Everyone is silent.
He solemnly says in Latin, "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam..." meaning, 'I announce to you news of great joy; we have a Pope...' He pauses and there are defeaning chants of praise among those gathered in St. Peter's Square. Chilean Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estive continues with his message, "Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Josephum..."
Before he continues, I shout the name, Ratzinger. "...Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Ratzinger qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictum XVI" meaning 'His Eminence and Most Reverend Lord, Lord Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of the Holy Roman Church, who will now be referred to as Benedict XVI." While some chant, "Benedict! Benedict", others are silent trying to absorb the meaning of the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as pope, for he has been known to some as 'cardinal no, enforcer of Church Doctrine.'
But who is Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict VI? He is son of a police officer(father) born on 16th April 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Germany. He comes from a traditional family of farmers from Lower Bavaria. With his brother, Georg, he knew very early that he was destined for the altar.
But his journey to the altar was not easy. As he was preparing himself for the priesthood in Traunstein, he was forced to join the Nazi Youth. He was 14 years old.
This was a matter of life and death: you either joined or you were killed. He chose the lesser evil. These youths were not allowed to fight. When he turned 18, he was enlisted into the auxiliary anti-aircraft service in the last months of World War II. He was later to escape and taken prisoner of war by the American soldiers.
