Denver, Colo., Apr 19, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Archbishop Charles Chaput, leader of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Denver is welcoming Pope Benedict XVI, formerly, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, with open arms.
In a statement released just hours after Pope Benedict took his place as pontiff on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the archbishop said that, “The election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI is a tremendous moment for the Church and a great affirmation of the legacy of Pope John Paul II.”
Amid allegations of being too strict with his enforcement of Church teaching in his role as prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Chaput said that “People with direct experience of Cardinal Ratzinger invariably encountered a man of character, kindness, refined intelligence, humility, simplicity and grace; a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ and a faithful son of the Second Vatican Council where he served as a theologian.”
Cardinal Ratzinger was elected pope yesterday after just three rounds of conclave voting—one of the shortest elections in recent history.