The new Pope, a far cry from the progressive reformer that western liberals had hoped for, was elected after one of the shortest conclaves in history. He is the 265th Pope, the first German since the 11th century and the second successive non-Italian. At 78 he is the oldest pontiff to be elected since 1730.

His election was welcomed by traditionalists. Many Vatican-watchers had predicted that Cardinal Ratzinger, the late Pope’s ideological “enforcer” as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1981, was a powerful kingmaker but would prove too divisive to be Pope.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, said that he had assured the Pope “of the prayers, good wishes and support of the Catholic Community of England and Wales”. The new Pope responded: “Please reassure all the people of England and Wales of my prayer.”

The 115 cardinals who began meeting in the Sistine Chapel on Monday afternoon took four ballots to elect a pope who they believe will “hold the line” against Western secularism and the challenge of Islam.

The new Pope beamed and clasped his hands as he greeted tens of thousands in St Peter’s Square after a puff of white smoke from above the chapel signalled that the conclave had made its choice. In his first address from the balcony of St Peter’s, the new Pope described himself as a “simple, humble worker in the Lord’s vineyard”.

It had been assumed that the failure to reach a decision in the first ballots meant that Cardinal Ratzinger had been blocked by the liberals and would make way for a compromise candidate. Later, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, the Archbishop of Florence, said: “We are all celebrating. I am very happy.

“In the conclave there was an atmosphere of great festivity, unity and communion,” he told Radio Tuscany.

As the new Pope waved to the crowd and gave his first Urbi et Orbi [to the city and the world] blessing, the other cardinals came out on other balconies to watch — some looking happier than others. The crowd chanted “Benedict! Benedict!” In choosing the name Benedict, Cardinal Ratzinger is seeking to inherit the mantle of Benedict XV, Pope from 1914 to 1922, who was regarded as a moderate. Sources said that the name John Paul III would have been “presumptuous”.

The choice appears intended to soften his image as a hard-liner. On Monday, as Dean of the College of Cardinals, he had used his homily at the conclave to give warning about sects, Marxism, liberalism, agnosticism and relativism.

The election followed a day of high drama. It was not at first clear whether the smoke emerging from the Sistine Chapel chimney was white: previous plumes of smoke, on Monday evening and at midday yesterday, had appeared white at first but turned black.

The confusion was compounded when, at first, the bells of St Peter’s did not ring out as officials had said that they would to avoid ambiguity.

After the smoke emerged, the velvet curtains on the chapel’s balcony opened and were drawn again before Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez of Chile, the senior cardinal-deacon, appeared.

He declared in Latin: “Nuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus Papam”. (“I announce to you a great joy: we have a Pope.”) After a long pause, he then uttered the name.

Sales of a special edition of L’Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper had to be suspended as sellers in St Peter’s Square were mobbed by pilgrims eager to get their hands on a copy.

The new Pope will give a homily today and will be inaugurated at St Peter’s on Sunday.

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