Posted on 04/19/2005 4:30:05 PM PDT by metalmanx2j
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - From the shanty-covered hillsides of Tegucigalpa to the cosmopolitan streets of Buenos Aires and dusty villages in Africa, hopes had been high that the new pope would be someone intimately tied to the developing world and its challenges.
Disappointment was evident when a German, Joseph Ratzinger — now Pope Benedict XVI — was chosen instead.
"I would have liked someone different: younger, with new ideas and perhaps with darker skin like us," said Alfonso Mercado, an ice cream seller in Pereira, Colombia. Many in the city in Colombia's coffee-growing region hoped Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, who preached in Pereira for 22 years, would be chosen.
Across the developing world, there was barely disguised disappointment — particularly among many Latin Americans, who make up roughly half the world's Catholics — that one of their own was not elected to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
"It should have been a Latino," said Gloria Vazquez, a 50-year-old housewife in Tegucigalpa. Yet she answered the call of the bells to a Mass in honor of the new pope at the Honduran capital's little cathedral.
"What are we going to do?" she asked. "We're Catholics."
The chimes sent waves of pigeons wheeling above the church, where dozens of the faithful had been listening to a radio broadcast of the papal announcement that echoed off the stained, peeling walls — a testimony to the poverty of this part of the Catholic world.
Julio Lancellotti, a priest who works with homeless and abandoned children in Sao Paulo, Brazil, frowned when he heard the papal announcement.
"We accept the pope who has been chosen," he said. "I accept in silence. We priests can have no opinion."
Many believed a pope from the developing world would be more focused on its problems, including poverty and the expansion of evangelical religions.
"Ratzinger's presence is a disaster for Latin America," snapped Bernardo Barranco, a Mexican sociologist and expert on religion, during a telephone interview from Rome.
"He took it upon himself to liquidate liberation theology. He didn't understand Latin America," said Barranco, referring to the blend of the Gospel with radical politics that rose in this region.
In Africa, the Vatican's announcement dashed hopes for those who were pulling for Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria.
In Onitsha, the city in southeastern Nigeria where Arinze once was bishop, people gathered in restaurants and shops — wherever they could find a television — to watch the announcement.
"The real Catholics of the world now are in Africa and Latin America, and it would have strengthened the church to have a pope from one of those places," said Okwudili Otti, a 45-year-old businessman.
Mary Ekpe, a 30-year-old Nigerian banker, said she never really expected an African pope to be elected.
"I know Europeans and Americans are not ready for that yet," Ekpe said. "But I thought they would've elected somebody from Latin America."
But she added: "I see something positive in the fact that they chose a German instead of an Italian. It shows at least the church is not returning to the tradition of having only Italian popes."
Matthew Hassan Kukah, a prominent Nigerian priest in the capital Abuja, said the faithful must not be disappointed.
"This is not the finals of the World Cup," Kukah said. "The sentiments are understandable, but this is the Catholic Church. We give thanks to God."
Colombian Bishop Jaime Prieto acknowledged that "we all had secret hopes that the next pope would be one of us." But he said Ratzinger's choice signals continued Vatican support for efforts to bring peace to Colombia, bloodied by a guerrilla war in which dozens of priests have been killed.
Monsignor Alejandro Goic, president of the Chilean Bishops Conference, defended the new pope, saying he "has a profound knowledge of Latin America" and speaks Spanish.
Marlyn Caceres, a 26-year-old selling candles, wooden crosses and rosaries outside La Candelaria Church in Caracas, Venezuela, said she remained hopeful Ratzinger will be a good pope.
"They say the man is humble. I hope he will be like the pope who died," said Caceres. "May it be as God wishes."
Bizarre.
Is that a racist statement, or would it only have been so if a German had been quoted complaining about a hispanic pope and "darker" had been replaced by "lighter"?
No really.. it isn't me. I'm humble, he's the Pope.
Es un GRANDE differencia.
You are correct:
http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/articles/politweak.asp
all the more reason for them to convert to evangelicalism or fundamentalism and republicanism.
Yeah - the article referring to him as an "expert on religion" kind of gives it away.
Funny how radical Islamists are supposedly not that big of a threat. But a devout Catholic... as Pope... horrors!
Get ready for a constant barrage of carping from the secularists.
Benedict will be a very good Pope.
Granted, I would have liked to see George Pell in the job, but that was always a long shot.
If these characters complaining about basic Catholic doctrine don't like it, they have many other choices of church at their disposal.
"....and perhaps with darker skin like us," said Alfonso Mercado..."
HUH??? The Pope was chosen to lead the Catholic Church, not La Raza
I would have also been pleased with Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, but I really don't think the ethnicity or race of the Holy Father should be a concern of any Catholic.
"If you can judge a wise man by the color of his skin, then mister you're a better man than I".... Aerosmith
I'm not surprised in the least that the AP would hold this guy up as somehow representative of Latinos. Shameful.
I am not sure if any of you picked it up but there was a small group of people from Honduras and Columbia and a few from Mexico who actually booed when Ratzinger walked out. Could not believe it with my own eyes and ears...they then after about 15 seconds clapped but they got their boos in.
But instead, my dreams have been dashed once again and they've gone ahead and picked a pope from some faraway European country that I never would have heard of had I not been a World War II buff.
I wish it was Arinze but with the way the liberals are going nuclear over Ratzinger I'm happy.
Question: How can those "dark skinned" folk who cry of racism expect to be taken seriously when they exhibit racism themselves? If I said I wanted "one of my own" to be Pope, or Mayor, or Governor I would be called a bigot.
Your ONLY concern should be whether he supports the teachings and policies of the Catholic Church.
There was nothing but unbridled enthusiasm when Karol Wojtyla was elected in 1978.
Not so, today.
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