Pope asks for prayers of pilgrims

POPE Benedict XVI formally began his stewardship of the Roman Catholic Church yesterday, reaching out to Jews, other Christians and “non-believers alike”.

He also asked for prayers from the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and dignitaries gathered in St Peter’s Square as he assumes “this enormous task”.

The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was known as the iron hand enforcing Church orthodoxy, made clear in his installation homily that as Pope, he would listen along with the Church to the will of God in governing the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics.