Kardinal Keith O'Brien, erkebiskop av Saint Andrews og Edinburgh

Kardinal Keith O'Brien

It has been a great joy for me to share with my brother cardinals in the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, he is a man of deep spirituality, a renowned theologian and a wonderful choice as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.

The election of a Pope is a time of joy and hope for Catholics in Scotland and around the world. I am sure that Scotland's Catholics and all people of goodwill in our country will join with me in asking God's fullest blessings on our new Pope - his greatest title is perhaps the most simple, "Servant of the servants of God"; may he indeed serve all peoples as Christ served and did his holy predecessor pope John Paul II.

May our new Pope work for peace throughout the world following the example of his earlier predecessor Pope Benedict XV who died at the time of the First World War.

St. Benedict is one of the patron saints of Europe; may he inspire us as we remember Europe's Christian roots and may our new Pope also keep before his own mind and ours the final words in St. Benedict's rule; 'Place no one before Christ.'"

ZEN - Zenit (20. april 2005)