The following is the statement of San Jose Bishop Patrick J. McGrath on the occasion of the election of Cardinal Josef Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI:
As the Bishop of San Jose, and in the name of the Catholic people of the Diocese of San Jose, I offer our support to and prayers for the new Holy Father, the 264th successor to St. Peter. Through the work of the Holy Spirit the Catholic Church is blessed with a new leader who will shepherd the world's more than one billion Catholics.
The new pope is a man of considerable intellect and a great thinker. I have found him to be a most gracious man and a good listener.
We now pray for the continued work of the Holy Spirit in the Church as we all humbly answer the call of Christ in our lives, in our Church and in the world.
FILED UNDER: POPE
