Bishop on Pope: warm and intelligent

Having just finished a meeting on Tuesday, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard had a break for a few minutes before his next appointment. In that interval, Pope Benedict XVI appeared on the balcony at St. Peter's in Vatican City.

From his frequent visits to Rome, Bishop Hubbard told The Evangelist, he has often met with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected to the papacy on April 19.

"I have found him to be gracious, warm, intelligent and well conversant with the challenges the Church faces around the world," the Bishop said shortly after the new pope was elected. "We've met several times, and he's the most impressive cardinal I've encountered. He has a keen intellect, and is quite gifted, prayerful and holy."

'Surprised'

Bishop Hubbard was "somewhat surprised" at the cardinals' choice to head the Church because of Benedict's age; he is 78.

"I thought, given the age and infirmity of Pope John Paul II, that the cardinals would choose someone in his late sixties or early seventies," the Bishop explained. "But, certainly in terms of the type of man [the new pope is] and his background and experience, he is well prepared for his office."

Bishop Hubbard called Pope Benedict "a brilliant theologian" who was a "peritus" (expert advisor) during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s and a university professor.

The Bishop also credited the new pope's experience as archbishop of Munich, Germany, which provides him "with pastoral experience. He knows the challenges faced by local bishops. And he was John Paul's closest collaborator, so the cardinals selected someone who seems in continuity with John Paul."

Giving him time

Bishop Hubbard suspects Benedict chose his name because John Paul's "image is so hard to fill. Benedict wanted to show his respect by not choosing" to become John Paul III.

As head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and second to John Paul, Cardinal Ratzinger was often a divisive figure, but Bishop Hubbard urged Catholics to allow the new pope time to present himself and his goals.

"He is in the tradition of John Paul theologically and ecclesiologically," he said. "I'm sure he also has insights of his own to give impetus to, so that he puts his own stamp on the papacy. We need to give him time to become his own man."

(4/21/05)