Source: The Toledo Blade

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050424/NEWS10/504240360/-1/NEWS

On April 24, 2005 The Toledo Blade reported, "As much as he is now the spiritual leader of the world's 1 billion Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI also has become an overnight global political leader, causing both consternation and hope for the former cardinal's new role as a bridge builder. Even though he rules over the smallest state - the Vatican is only 109 acres - the new Pope will have immediate influence on whatever issues he chooses to spotlight, whether they be the war in Iraq, AIDS, Iran's and North Korea's bid for nuclear weapons, terrorism or even the internal affairs of other countries. Also, as a powerful figure at the Vatican for 24 years, the new Pope has already met most of the world's leaders, either as he traveled with Pope John Paul II or as leaders came to pay their respects at the Vatican. In the millions of words poured forth in the past week about the Catholic Church's 265th leader, so much was made of his doctrinaire, arch-conservative theological views that the new Pope hastened to give a speech at the end of his first Mass as Pope promising he would work for reconciliation between Christians and other religions."