Pope Reaches Out to Non-Catholics, Chinese
‘Although 78 and seen by some as a transitional figure, Pope Benedict XVI moved quickly in the first month of his papacy, standing firm on the moral code for his flock while reaching out to Jews and other non-Catholics and seeking to break down a half-century-old barrier with China.
When he was elected as pope April 19 in one of the shortest conclaves in modern history, there were questions of how the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, seen as a severe guardian of church orthodoxy, would fill the shoes of his crowd-pleasing predecessor, Pope John Paul II. His first appearances in papal white seemed to dispel the doubts.
During his general audience Wednesday, Benedict spoke in a half-dozen languages, including reading a greeting to pilgrims in John Paul’s native Polish noting it would have been the “unforgettable pontiff’s” 85th birthday.’
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