Dale Steckler admitted she had been &uot;glued to the TV&uot; for quite a while to see when the next pope might be announced.

Virginia O’Beirne just happened to turn on the TV and hear the impending news that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, would be named pope.

But when she heard, she immediately called her husband, and they listened to the announcement together, albeit by phone. &uot;After all,&uot; she said, &uot;this was an historic moment.&uot;

The Rev. David O’Connor &045; pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church, where both Steckler and O’Beirne are members &045; was in a meeting elsewhere in the state when he heard the news.

At Cathedral School, students spent much of the day watching coverage surrounding the announcement.

But no matter how they heard the news, which broke at about 11:50 a.m. Tuesday, local Catholics interviewed later agreed that Ratzinger seems specially equipped to be pope.

Many cited Ratzinger’s closeness with Pope John Paul II,

his intellect, his ability to organize and his volumes of knowledge on how every part of the church operates.

&uot;I believe they have chosen the man Pope John Paul II would have chosen to be the shepherd of this flock,&uot; O’Beirne said.

Some said that as a conservative on moral and social issues, perhaps Ratzinger is just the person to lead the church in a time of moral relativism.

&uot;He is very strong on the teachings of the church,&uot; O’Beirne said. &uot;He’s the perfect shepherd to guide us and hold us fast to the faith.&uot;

That may well have been the cardinals’ intent in choosing Ratzinger as pope, said fellow St. Mary member Kirk Bartley &045; to elect conservative enough not to make any radical changes.

And in naming someone 78 years old as pope, their intent might have been to &uot;elect somebody older (than Pope John Paul II) who would not be around as long as he was.&uot;

Still, those interviewed said there are still challenges facing the church that are so urgent that this pope might have to address them in some fashion &045; difficulty in drawing people to the priesthood, for example.

While Bartley doesn’t expect this pope to completely settle the issue, he does believe &uot;he’ll have to look at married priests, and another issue have to look at is permanent deacons serving in a wider role.&uot;

O’Connor said Ratzinger has a good working relationship with his fellow cardinals around the world, who will bring concerns from around the globe to him.

&uot;So he can’t but be aware of these concerns,&uot; he said.

Steckler said she believes Ratzinger will address more than most people realize, and that the world will get to know he better in the coming days.

&uot;I believe that the world will be quite surprised with what he will do,&uot; Steckler said. &uot;This individual is going to show the world who he is.&uot;

In addition, O’Connor said, &uot;society as a whole is less drawn to religious systems and leaders, so that’s another issue.&uot;

O’Connor’s hope and belief is that this pope has enough interpersonal skills and personal warmth to help inspire others of all faiths to examine their own religious beliefs and become involved in religion once again.

The pope’s influence on other faiths can be seen, O’Connor said, in the number of people who have inquired about who the local priest thought would be the next pope.

While O’Connor has never met Ratzinger, he said that seeing the then-cardinal speak at Pope John Paul II’s funeral showed him the man was able to communicate great warmth and love.

Also, Ratzinger’s high position in the church could not have been attained by someone who didn’tas well as other qualities, have good interpersonal skills, O’Connor said.

In addition, O’Connor said he hopes Ratzinger will continue the previous pope’s legacy of reaching out to other faiths, and to all peoples, worldwide in an ongoing dialogue.

&uot;My hopes are that, given the fact that he was raised in Germany in a time of great antagonism (against Jews), he will build relationships with the Jewish people,&uot; said O’Connor, who also wants Ratzinger to use his office to call attention to the plight of the needy.

&uot;Another hope is that, with the increasing awareness of Muslims in our country and the role of the Muslim faith worldwide, he’ll be able to address that from the perspective of western Christianity and (maintain) a dialogue.&uot;

O’Connor said his prayer &uot;is that (this pope) can be in office long enough to have an influence (to bridge) the many divides between people in the world.&uot;

Bartley did say that, at age 78, Ratzinger might have some trouble relating to young people &045; an ability that became a hallmark of Pope John Paul II’s years as pope.

Again, O’Connor said, that’s an area in which Ratzinger’s interpersonal skills and warmth will serve him well.

And students at Cathedral School, Principal Pat Sanguinetti said, are excited about the announcement of this pope.

Sanguinetti made two school-wide announcements Tuesday, one to announce the white smoke and one to announce the name of the new pope.

&uot;The kids are excited,&uot; Sanguinetti said. &uot;We are planning to make it exciting for them. They feel the importance of this position.&uot;

When Pope John Paul II died, the school placed black cloth over their sign in front of the building, Sanguinetti said that cloth would now be replaced with white fabric.

Reflecting on all Ratzinger’s qualities, O’Beirne said a closing thought.

&uot;Benedict means ‘blessed,&uot;&uot; she said. &uot;Which is appropriate, because we’re blessed to have him chosen as pope.&uot;

Staff writer Julie Finley contributed to this report.