Cardinal Ratzinger at 78 was barely young enough to vote for, or be considered for, Pope. I think the College of Cardinals elected their own 'placeholder'.
I pray he'll live to be 120.
They elected the right man.
He is extraordinarily gifted.
I think he's got plenty of years ahead of him. I suspect he'll live to be well over 100. His papacy will be much more than a "placeholder", it will probably be the most significant of the 21st Century. The MSM is worried he'll roll back all the progress, with regards to societal ills the Liberals have made, preaching from their altar of immorality, since the 1960's.