Don’t interpret humility and shyness as signs of a ‘Ratzinger Lite’

COMMENTING on Pope Benedict’s election in the Irish Examiner last Thursday, I remarked that “the uncertainty now felt by some may yet give way to hope, respect and, in due course, love”.

I’m beginning to think I was too cautious. In the days that followed, the new Pope seems to have charmed all comers. At his inauguration on Sunday the world encountered a gentle and gracious man. Being 78 and somewhat shy doesn’t seem like a disadvantage any more.

Are we in for another momentous papacy? There are promising signs. The Pope’s natural shyness may work to his advantage. We feel sympathy for a man who must fill John Paul II’s shoes without having the immense crowd-pleasing skills of his predecessor.