Text of the speech delivered by Joseph Ratzinger, elected pope Tuesday, from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. He chose the name of Benedict XVI.
``Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me - a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.
``The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers.
``In the joy of the risen Lord, trusting in his permanent help, we go forward. The Lord will help us and Mary his very holy mother stands by us.''
It was an amazing event -- seeing the smoke, hearing the bells, watching as thousands of people rushed as fast as they could to the Square to get a first glimpse.... I was 10 yrs old when JPII was elected and don't remember much about it, but it was inspiring to see so many people clamoring to see the new pope. God bless Benedict XVI and the Church!