The Cardinals of the Roman Catholic church have elected the former Cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger, as the new pope. Benedict XVI inherits a Catholic church which his predecessor John Paul II turned into a major political factor in world affairs.
This report from William Horsley:
The Catholic cardinals did not after all choose an African or Latin American pope who would have spoken directly to the concerns of the developing world. They chose Joseph Ratzinger, a theologian who's spent many years at the Vatican in Rome, at a time when it faces strong attacks over church scandals, suffocating bureaucracy and claims that it's grown out of touch with the lives of people, both in the secular west and in the needy south.
The new pope, though respected for his intellect, may be seen by his critics both in and out of the church as a step backwards for its wider image; as a doctrinaire or even authoritarian figure. He has publicly pledged to "re-christianise" Europe; and in adversarial style he has denounced communism in all its forms, American leaders over the Iraq war, the European Union for turning away from its Christian roots, and leaders of the eastern orthodox and protestant Christian faiths for refusing to submit to the leadership of Rome.
Where John Paul opened up dialogue with Islam and with orthodox Christians, the man who is now pope has, up to now, preached that the church of Rome has all the answers. Bold diplomacy also needs human skills, and he has much to do to prove that he has them.
William Horsley, BBC News, Rome
spoken directly to the concerns of
tomado en cuenta las preocupaciones de
spent many years
pasó muchos años
suffocating bureaucracy
sistema burocrático extremadamente complicado
it's grown out of touch with
que se ha alejado de
may be seen by his critics
es considerado por sus críticos
authoritarian
autoritaria
adversarial
estilo combativo
denounced communism in all its forms
denunció el comunismo en todas sus formas
refusing to submit to the leadership of Rome
negándose a seguir las directrices de Roma
human skills
la habilidad de comunicarse y conectarse con la gente
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