Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI
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My Personal Account of this Global Event:
About 3:30 AM New Zealand time I was still awake and browsing the Internet and also listening to BBC World simulcast on TV One. (This is the webpage I was reading.) There was a special segement on the news broadcast, apparently the smoke stack over the Sistine Chapel is giving out white-ish smoke. I thought that it was another false alarm like the prior election when the smoke first looked like white and then turned black. Suddenly, there was talk that there might be a new Pope elected but if there is a new Pope elected bells will ring at the Vatican.
I began to send SMS/text messages to my family and friends in New Zealand and other Filipino friends back home and in Europe. I told them to watch TV news as there may be a new Pope.
Around 4:00 AM NZ or 6:00 PM in Rome I heard the bell rang on TV. The reporter Mr. Brian Hanrahan of the BBC said that it was the hourly clock bell at St. Peter's Basilica. It was a false alarm.
It was I think about 4:05 AM here and I was hearing bells again from the TV. Mr. Hanrahan said that it could be official that a new Vicar of Christ has been elected. I called my Filipina neighbour and were on the line until the eldest cardinal came out of the balcony and said, "Habemus Papam!" and the new Pope is Joseph Ratzinger and his chosen name is Benedict XVI. The cardinal went back to the church as the new pope prepares to meet the people and lo and behold the new Pope Benedict XVI. He was waving to the people, gave his first greeting and his first blessing. When I looked at my clock it was about 5:00 AM here.
(Image source: Wikipedia - Pope Benedict XVI)
