VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has been selected by the Roman Catholic church as the new pope.Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez of Chile made the announcement to a cheering crowd in St. Peter's Square.Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI, appeared on the balcony of the Vatican Basilica to greet the people and deliver his first papal blessing.
"Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me -- a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord," The Associated Press quoted him as saying.Once the archbishop of Munich, Germany, and for many years prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Ratzinger, 78, was one of the most powerful men in the Vatican and is widely acknowledged as a leading theologian.Ratzinger served for 20 years as John Paul II's chief theological adviser.As a young priest he was on the progressive side of theological debates but shifted to the right after the student revolutions of 1968.In the Vatican, he has been the driving force behind crackdowns on liberation theology, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional moral teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and dissent on such issues as women's ordination.The dean of the College of Cardinals since November 2002, he was elevated to cardinal by Pope Paul VI in June 1977.White smoke, bells Earlier, white smoke rose from a Sistine Chapel chimney and bells rang Tuesday, signaling the selection of a new pope.The crowd clapped and waved flags as the smoke began to billow over Vatican City about 5:50 p.m. (11:50 a.m. ET).Suspense built as the throng waited for the symbolic ringing of bells, at which point the crowd broke into a roar of jubilation.The conclave of 115 cardinals had voted three times previously -- once Monday night and twice Tuesday morning -- before selecting the new pope.The cardinals' morning ballots were burned at about 11:50 a.m. (5:50 a.m. EDT).Chemicals are added to the ballots to turn the smoke white or black.Pope John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84, had decreed that white smoke be accompanied by the ringing of bells, to avoid a repeat of the confusion after his election in 1978.Ratzinger needed two-thirds of the votes to be selected. Speculation rife There has been a great deal of speculation about who may be chosen to succeed John Paul II, who died April 2 at the age of 84, but cardinals have been mum.
Some taking part in the conclave said they are looking for a leader who presents a hopeful vision, who can "generate some dynamism and some optimism within Catholicism," CNN Vatican analyst John Allen said.The first clues to the process of finding a successor were sought during the homily or sermon delivered by Ratzinger at Monday's public Mass.
"Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism," Ratzinger said.Allen said Ratzinger delivered a "very blunt" message for the church to "stay true to itself."
