By Karen Breytenbach & Poloko Tau
Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on Wednesday gave the new Roman Catholic pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, a lukewarm welcome, saying that if he had been a member of the voting conclave, he would not have voted for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
"If I had been a cardinal and had the right to vote, I would not have given my vote to the new pope... he would not have been my candidate... but then again, I'm not Catholic," Tutu said, addressing the media at his office in Cape Town.
"As you know, I have expressed hope for a new pope from Africa or the Third World.
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'I hope sitting on the papal throne will take off the edges' "A candidate from these parts would have placed on the agenda some burning issues like poverty in this skewed international order that disadvantages the poor.
"I would have hoped such a candidate (would be concerned with) issues of disease and the HIV/Aids pandemic," he said.
Also concerned about gender equality in the church, Tutu said he had hoped the new pope would be open to the ordination of woman ministers.
Ratzinger, chosen as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, was however responsible for a rigid, and even conservative line as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said Tutu.
"I hope sitting on the papal throne will take off the edges and have an effect on easing his rigidity," Tutu said.
'The good news is that God is there for the downtrodden' But Tutu added that the church should not be too precipitous in its judgment of Ratzinger's new role.
"I trust the Holy Spirit will move him. The good news is that God is there for the downtrodden," said Tutu.
"A less rigid candidate would have been more likely to lift the ban the Roman Catholic Church has placed on the use of condoms.
"Everywhere else it is recognised as an effective way to combat the spread of HIV."
Tutu said he believed the world needed church leaders who were open to interfaith dialogue.
Also expressing this hope was Director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, David Saks.
He hoped Ratzinger would carry on "working to build the bridge of friendship and reconciliation between the Jewish and Catholic communities of the world".
Like Tutu, South African Council of Churches General Secretary Molefe Tsele described Ratzinger as a conservative like his predecessor.
Tsele was of the opinion that due to Ratzinger's conservative stance "he has never been a good friend of the new-era theologians".
Agreeing with Tsele, Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference spokesperson Ephraim Tresoldi said the new pope's appointment was no surprise, as he is expected to carry forth the legacy of his like-minded predecessor.
Methodist Church of South Africa spokesperson, Paul Verryn, also highlighted the similarities between the current and previous pope, but applauded the Vatican for again choosing a non-Italian pontiff.
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This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on April 21, 2005
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