HABEMUS PAPAM - WE HAVE A POPE

The white smoke has come out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, the bells are ringing wildly. In Rome, people are flooding into St. Peter's square. Rome's police are not prepared. People pushing baby strollers stream across seven lanes of traffic, trying to reach St. Peter's on time to see the new Pope come out onto the balcony and be introduced. They want to hear his first words to the world. Their waving and cheering just keeps increasing.

Now, a mere 30 minutes after the bells started pealing, St. Peter's is packed as well as the street leading to it, as far back as the camera can see. And we are still seeing shots of people flooding into every street leading there. The roar is deafening.

Now the doors on the balcony are being opened. The cheers are growing. The cardinal appears. He announces the name of the new Pope: Joseph Ratzinger, who takes the name Benedict XVI. They prepare for him to speak. The cheers swell up, still growing and growing.

He begins to speak and they are silent. He praises John Paul II and asks God to use such a humble one as himself. From the air, the camera shows that every street and piazza visible from the air is packed with humanity.

After his benediction the cheers begin again. People are still rushing through the streets toward St. Peter's. The bells begin again.

To tell the truth, this is the Pope that I prayed early this morning that they would choose. Dean of the Cardinals, one of the closest to John Paul II and one of his oldest friends, possibly the one he would have chosen. He is also conservative as to doctrine. Once thought of as liberal, he did not move away from the church, it moved away from him. He holds to the truth of the Bible and the established doctrine of the church.

The Catholic church will continue in health. This is a good Pope. God has blessed us again.