Indian Catholics welcome their new Shepherd – Pope Benedict XVI

New Delhi – The election of Pope Benedict XVI on April 19 has been welcomed by the Catholic community of India with special mid night prayers, songs of praise and continuous peeling of bells of churches reverberating across the nation.

As the news of the result of the election of the new Pope broke out in television channels, bells pealed in the cathedrals in all the diocesan headquarters.

Irrespective of religious differences, thousands of Indiands watched the live telecast of the election of the new Pope and were moved when Pope Benedict XVI imparted the first papal blessing to the thousands of faithful who had gathered at the St. Peter’s Square in Vatican.

On Monday, the morning Masses across the churches in India were held especially for the new pontiff as bishops gladly welcomed the news of the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope.

“It is a wonderful news. I am happy that the Church is in the hands of the right man. The new Pope is a personal friend of mine. So I am excited that he is our leader and shepherd,” Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil of Verapoly said, adding that the new Pope “is a very humble and loving man” and a “great listener and intellectual.”

“Above all, he is one of the greatest theologians in the Church,” Archbishop Acharuparambil said.

Archbishop Joseph Powathil of Changanassery issued a statement in which he called the new Pope “a guardian of faith.”

“The new Pope is a man of enormous theological ability. He also possesses brilliant pastoral and administrative experiences. Our new Pope is a gift from God,” the archbishop said.

The Mumbai–based Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) has said in a press statement that 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide have welcomed the announcement of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI.

“The Church with its dwindling numbers and growing irrelevance of religion in Europe will certainly look forward to the new papacy, will revitalize and galvanize Catholics into social action,” it said.