US embassy cable - 05VATICAN467

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 000467 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (LEVIN), EUR/PPD, INR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  4/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, VT 
SUBJECT: POPE BENEDICT XVI SUCCEEDS JOHN PAUL II 
 
REF: A. A) VATICAN 000463, 
 
     B. B) VATICAN 00465, 
     C. C) VATICAN 00466 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: D. Brent Hardt, Charge D'Affaires, EXEC, STATE. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
 
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Ratzinger Elected Pope Benedict XVI 
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1.  (SBU) The Roman Catholic College of Cardinals elected German 
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Supreme Pontiff April 19.  Ratzinger, 
78, has taken the name Pope Benedict XVI.  Despite media 
speculation that Ratzinger had the support of many cardinals, 
his election was a surprise to many, given indications that 
other more moderate voices might prevent a two-thirds majority. 
Just yesterday, Poloff spoke to a top aide to Ratzinger, 
American Monsignor Charles Brown, who asked half jokingly for 
prayers for Ratzinger's candidacy.  When we saw Brown just after 
Benedict's appearance as the new pope, the American was 
shellshocked: "I'm speechless," he said. 
 
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Powerful Cardinal 
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2.  (SBU) Ratzinger was Dean of the College of Cardinals and had 
long been considered one of the two or three most powerful men 
in the Vatican.  As head of the Holy See's Congregation for the 
Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's watchdog for theological 
orthodoxy, Ratzinger developed a reputation for unapologetic 
conservatism and a firm hand with wayward theologians.  The 
media often portrayed him as an aloof, autocratic despot. 
However, in meetings with Ratzinger, Post has found him to be 
surprisingly humble, spiritual, and approachable. 
 
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Will Stay the Course 
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3.  (C) Post will provide a more detailed analysis of the likely 
course of Benedict XVI's papacy septel, but the broad strokes 
seem clear.  Benedict XVI will stay the course of John Paul II 
theologically; there will be no liberalization of Catholic 
policy on abortion, contraception, priestly celibacy, female 
priests, and other hotly debated issues.  A sermon he delivered 
Monday before the opening of the conclave indicated as much, as 
Ratzinger made it clear a new pope should not back down in the 
face of secularism and other challenges to orthodoxy. 
 
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Europe a Focus 
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4.  (C) Pope Benedict will likely place great emphasis on the 
Church in Europe.  Ratzinger believes Europe is the spiritual 
and historic home of the Church, and he is not ready to cede his 
home continent to the forces of secularism or Islam.  In fact, 
Ratzinger made headlines in August 2004 when he expressed 
reservations about Turkey's prospective EU membership (04 
Vatican 3196).  He also led the ultimately unsuccessful drive 
for a mention of Europe's Christian roots in the new EU 
constitution, which became a primary focus of John Paul II's 
last year as pontiff.  Many in the Holy See questioned the logic 
of this focus, given that the constitution already provided the 
legal protections the church needed, but it reflects the new 
Pope's certain attention to the spiritual future of Europe. 
 
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Transitional Figure? 
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5.  (SBU) In choosing the name Benedict XVI, Ratzinger may have 
been acknowledging that at 78, and following an historic papacy, 
he will be a transitional figure.  Benedict XV's short-lived 
papacy lasted only from 1914-1922.  The original St. Benedict, 
the founder of European monastic tradition, is the patron saint 
of Europe -- yet another hint of Benedict XVI's intentions. 
 
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Biographical Information 
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6.  (U) Joseph Ratzinger was born on 16 April 1927 in Marktl am 
Inn, Germany. He was ordained a priest on 29 June 1951.  His 
 
father, a police officer, came from a traditional family of 
farmers from Lower Bavaria.  He spent his adolescent years in 
Traunstein, and was called into the auxiliary anti-aircraft 
service in the last months of World War II.  From 1946 to 1951, 
the year in which he was ordained a priest and began to teach, 
he studied philosophy and theology at the University of Munich 
and at the higher school in Freising.  In 1953 he obtained a 
doctorate in theology.  Four years later, he qualified as a 
university teacher. He then taught dogma and fundamental 
theology at the higher school of philosophy and theology of 
Freising, then in Bonn from 1959 to 1969, Muenster from 1963 to 
1966, Tuebingen from 1966 to 1969. From 1969, he was a professor 
of dogmatic theology and of the history of dogma at the 
University of Regensburg and Vice President of the same 
university. 
 
7.  (U) Already in 1962 he was well known when, at the age of 
35, he became a consultor at Vatican Council II, of the 
Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joseph Frings.  In March 1977, 
Paul VI elected him Archbishop of Munich and Freising and on 28 
May 1977 he was consecrated, the first diocesan priest after 80 
years to take over the pastoral ministry of this large Bavarian 
diocese.  Ratzinger was created and proclaimed Cardinal by Paul 
VI in the consistory of 27 June 1977.  On 25 November 1981 he 
was nominated by John Paul II Prefect of the Congregation for 
the Doctrine of the Faith; President of the Biblical Commission 
and of the Pontifical International Theological Commission. 
 
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Comment 
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8.  (C)  The election of John Paul II's theologian to succeed 
him suggests that the College of Cardinals wanted the closest 
possible theological continuity they could find in a new Pope. 
At the same time, it is unlikely that the 78-year-old "humble 
worker in the Lord's vineyard," as he described himself will cut 
as prominent figure on the world stage as the young and robust 
John Paul II did when he was first elected.  While he will 
certainly carry on the Holy See's global mission left by his 
predecessor, his focus is likely to be more on strengthening the 
church from within than promoting the Church's role externally. 
Despite his euro-centric focus, he will also need to address the 
concerns of those Catholics in the developing world whose 
priority remains a socially and politically active church 
working against poverty, disease and oppression.  In this 
regard, and more broadly on international issues, he will face a 
steep learning curve.  We should reach out to him early on to 
help shape his approach as he begins to grapple with the world 
beyond the Vatican's walls. 
 
HARDT 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00467 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL