[MozartLover]

German; born in Bavaria.

And yes, he was a member of the Hitler Youth Party. But it was MANDATORY, and he ended up deserting the army at great personal risk.

His faather was staunchly anti-Nazi.

Beware; the media will be drooling over this story (if they haven't already started; some of them have.) They conveniently choose to leave out a few pertinent details.

[MozartLover]

Just a pre-emptive strike on what you'll be hearing from the mediaa/libs/DUers over the next few days:

RATZINGER A NAZI? DON'T BELIEVE IT!

[Miss Marple]

Hi, Mozie! Pope Benedict XVI!! It has been a long time since we had a pope without John or Paul in his name.

I read on the live thread that St. Benedict is the patron saint of Europe, which to my mind is why he chose the name.

I think this is a very good selection by the cardinals.

As an aside, while the MSM is pushing that he is cold and autocratic, the impression I have of him is someone who is humble and a bit shy. He had a very sweet smile on the balcony.

I read also that he is a towering intellect and speaks many languages. This is also a great thing.

May God bless Pope Benedict and give him a long and fruitful reign!