From the Beeb:
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has been elected as the pope – the head of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics.
Taking the name Pope Benedict XVI, the 78-year-old German appeared on the balcony of the Vatican palace.
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A close friend and confidante of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI is also known as a fellow conservative.
For more that 20 years he was head of the congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican – the Vatican’s guardian of orthodoxy.
The BBC’s William Horsley in Rome says his papacy is sure to continue John Paul II’s strongly traditional interpretation of the Catholic faith, including opposition to abortion, homosexuality, priestly marriage and women priests.
So, no reform for now, it seems the idea is to elect an older Pope who would continue John Paul II’s policies, providing time to digest them, and shelve changes until the next Pope’s reign. Although transitional periods are normally marked by the succesion of someone closer to the center..
Intuitionistically Uncertain 