Give the Pope a chance, says Nuncio

People should give Pope Benedict XVI a chance to "manifest his qualities" before passing any kind of judgment, according to Apostolic Nuncio Felix del Blanco Prieto.

Mgr del Blanco Prieto, who spent many years at the Vatican and has been its representative in Malta for 18 months, also told The Times that although he did not have any preference for any specific cardinal, the choice of Cardinal Ratzinger had truly delighted him.

"It immediately reminded me of my years in Rome, when together with some colleague I would be walking to my office, crossing through St Peter's Square. And there would be Cardinal Ratzinger, as punctual as ever, who would come up to us to offer his jovial morning greeting, himself also on his way to work.

"On that same square thousands would have had the occasion to see him. The cardinal, always on foot, never avoided an encounter with anybody. He has always seemed to me an extremely amiable person, simple, inclined towards listening to others, to whom he would always readily have a very concrete answer, concise as it may be."

Mgr del Blanco Prieto also said it was not appropriate to label Pope Benedict XVI either conservative or progressive.

"He knows well what our limits, fragilities and expectations are, and what resources the Church can offer to encourage and assist not only the progressive maturity of believers but also the increased wisdom and fraternity among mankind.

"A more courageous and freer Church is far removed from the political world, where the objective more often than not is to qualify or disqualify a candidate by labelling him conservative or progressive.

"Cardinal Ratzinger, in his homily during Mass at the beginning of the Conclave, spoke about the maturity of faith which is above relativism - that is, allowing oneself to be carried away by any stream of doctrine that fits in well with modern life."

The Apostolic Nuncio said Pope Benedict XVI had been elected in a conclave that most wished to be short, not least because the electors already knew each other well since all but two had been convened together within the Cardinals' College by Pope John Paul II.

"Cardinal Ratzinger, who with Cardinal Baum was one of the two "elder" cardinals, was not one of the least known; on the contrary, he was a renowned theologian at Vatican Council II and then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for 24 years.

He said no one could have any doubt about the immense culture of the new Pope and his profound knowledge of theology: "His theology places man at the centre, through the Church. That was the vision of his predecessor, to whom Benedict XVI referred, who left us a more courageous, freer and younger Church."

Mgr del Blanco Prieto said everyone should rejoice at the fact that the latest successor to St Peter had already been identified in the common prayers of the faithful as a Pope after God's own heart.

"We are also very confident and full of trust towards our Pope Benedict XVI and all wholeheartedly wish him a fruitful ministry," he said.