San Antonio, Texas, Apr 20, 2005 / 22:00 pm
As Pope Benedict XVI begins to take his place as spiritual shepherd of over 1 billion Catholics, bishops across the U.S. are expressing hope and joy at the election of the German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
Archbishop Jose Gomez of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX, sees the new Pope as a man of “great wisdom and humility.”
Archbishop Gomez noted that “in his homily at the Mass for the beginning of the conclave, [Cardinal Ratzinger] gives us a glimpse of himself as a pope who continues to challenge us as followers of Jesus,” calling the faithful to “the maturity of Christ.”
He noted that, “The new pope is a holy man who worked closely with John Paul II for so many years” and expressed confidence that Benedict would “continue in a spirit of faith and unity, bringing us together to face the needs of the Church and the world with courage and love.”