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 Support The DrudgeReport; Visit Our Advertisers  MAG: RATZINGER WON FINAL BALLOTING WITH 95 OF 115 VOTES Sun Apr 24 2005 09:24:57 ET New York -- In the days before the conclave, almost every Cardinal who deigned to speak to the press declared that he was praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance in choosing the successor to John Paul II. The Holy Spirit?s efforts in this particular case began 18 months ago, with a stealth campaign that in the end transfigured an unpalatable candidate into the inevitable Pontiff, turning Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany into Pope Benedict XVI, TIME Rome Bureau Chief Jeff Israely reports in this week?s cover package on Pope Benedict XVI. The momentum, orchestrated by key Curia Cardinals, was such that a last-ditch attempt by liberals to derail it petered out after the first round of voting. ?They didn?t realize how strong Ratzinger was,? says an aide to a Cardinal who almost certainly did not vote for the German. ?The reformers have been out of touch with this growing tide around Ratzinger,? TIME reports. Ratzinger Had Fallen Off the Radar: TIME reports that back in October 2003, as a litany of papabili, or potential candidates, was intoned by the press amid one of John Paul II?s health crises, Ratzinger wasn?t mentioned at all. The favorite was an Italian, Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi of Milan. Even though Ratzinger was dean of the College of Cardinals, many saw him as past his prime. Moreover, his work as John Paul?s ideological enforcer had made him a divisive figure in the church. ?He had fallen off the radar,? says a Curia official. But something was afoot that October. A Cardinal in the Curia, in conversation with another Vatican official, suddenly said, ?I like Ratzinger?s chances.? Surprised at the time, the official now says, ?Getting elected Pope is more a question of how many enemies you have than friends. And I thought Ratzinger still had too many enemies,? TIME reports Ratzinger Rejuvenated: By the end of 2003, instead of being exhausted by work, Ratzinger appeared to have been rejuvenated. Not only did he keep on publishing books and papers, but he also became even more audible as a conservative voice in European and global affairs. He became particularly visible in Italy, which was expressing some nostalgia for an Italian papacy after more than 26 years of a Polish Pope. Ratzinger wrote several articles for major Italian papers. ?All of a sudden last year,? said a senior Vatican official, ?he had become the darling of the [conservative] Italian intelligentsia,? TIME reports. A Papal Campaign Debate: In February, John Paul was admitted to the hospital. And as the church focused once again on potential successors, something close to a papal campaign debate took place. Ratzinger and Tettamanzi attended a funeral in Milan for the founder of Communion and Liberation, a powerful conservative Catholic lay movement. Without notes, Ratzinger delivered an inspiring eulogy for the deceased and received enthusiastic applause. Tettamanzi, who presided over the service as the local Cardinal, read his remarks and, according to a supporter of the Milanese prelate, left the crowd cold, TIME reports. A Critical Time to Appear Strong and Confident: For Ratzinger, it was a critical time to appear strong and confident?and he got several opportunities to bolster such an image. For Good Friday, with John Paul near death, Ratzinger wrote the text for the closely watched reading of the Stations of the Cross. His daring language on the need to cleanse the church of ?filth??an apparent reference to the sex-abuse scandals plaguing the priesthood?startled some but was applauded by many looking for strength as John Paul?s ebbed. Without having to claim as much, Ratzinger appeared to be the man in charge, TIME reports. Monday?s Conclave ? Cardinal Martini?s Countermovement: Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini of Milan had tried to organize a countermovement, and as the electors entered the conclave on Monday afternoon, the consensus was that two camps that would be pitted against each other: the conservatives around Ratzinger and a group behind Martini. But Martini, who is suffering from Parkinson?s disease, was hoping only to blunt Ratzinger?s momentum in order to give other less conservative Cardinals a chance to gather support, TIME reports. First Round of Balloting ? Some Votes Left Blank: The biblical scholar managed a good showing in the first round of balloting, but Ratzinger was already solidly ahead. The rest of the votes were spread among several Italians, and according to one voting Cardinal, several ballots were left blank. By that evening, however, it was clear that no one was going to be able to step in for Martini, TIME reports. Final Tally ? Ratzinger with 95 of 115 Votes: By Tuesday, Martini, who does not dislike Ratzinger personally, withdrew his candidacy and might have even thrown his support to him. Liberals who could not stomach that option reportedly swung over to Buenos Aires? conservative Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio in an anyone-but-Ratzinger move though several sources said the Argentine was himself aligned with the German. But the second balloting saw Ratzinger reach 60 votes. By the third, he was just shy of the 77 required to gain the papacy. By the fourth, he had won 95 out of 115. Liberal stalwarts left Rome grumbling. ?A good conclave is one where there are at least two candidates deadlocked,? says a liberal supporter disappointed by the process. ?A bad conclave is where there?s one dominant figure. That was the case this time.? TIME?s package includes a profile of Ratzinger by New York-based Religion writer David Van Biema. He spoke with Hans K�ng who first recruited Ratzinger to the theology department at the University of T�bingen in 1966 and who no longer agrees with Ratzinger?s view of the papacy. Editor-at-Large Nancy Gibbs writes the introduction to the package and TIME contributor Andrew Sullivan writes a viewpoint essay on the new Pope. In a TIME forum, American Catholics suggest priorities the new pontiff should address in the days ahead. Among the American Catholics featured in TIME?s forum: Anti-death penalty crusader Sister Helen Prejean, founder of Ave Maria Univerisity in Naples, FL and founder of Domino?s Pizza Chain Tom Monaghan, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, and Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. TIME?s package includes a detailed graphic explaining the sphere?s of influence surrounding Pope Benedict XVI. |
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