Vatican City, Apr 20, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Catholics in Asia and Africa have joyfully welcomed Pope Benedict XVI, expressing their hope that he will continue to maintain the Church’s traditional teachings and values, reported CNSNews.com.
Filipino Cardinal Jaime Sin was ill and could not attend the conclave. But a spokesman said the cleric was satisfied that the new Pope belongs to the same tradition as Pope John Paul II.
The mayor of Manila and pro-life activist Lito Atienza said he was certain that Pope Benedict XVI would follow in John Paul’s footsteps on life issues.
This view was echoed in Kenya, where Catholics held a mass to celebrate the new pontiff at Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica.