What our other readers are saying:
Must begin listening to women
The biggest challenge is to begin listening to women's voices, especially those of Roman Catholic feminists. Male voices should not be the only voices heard and consulted in the Roman Catholic Church, for over half the church is made up of women. Why don't we, and why doesn't the Roman Catholic hierarchy, hear more from them? Why does the Pope persist in thinking that men are more qualified to speak for women than women are qualified to speak for themselves? If he really takes women seriously, he needs to begin listening to them.
Orlando Rippeteaux, Washington, USA
'Draw closer those that feel a kinship'
The positions of the church are clear. Pope Benedict's challenge is to draw closer those that feel a kinship to those positions, and to draw them into greater involvement and financial contribution.
Mark Swanson, Ellenville, N.Y., USA
Proper balance is needed
One of the greatest challenges to the new pope will be to maintain his own spiritual relationship with God while living in the fishbowl known as the modern papacy. To properly balance the sometimes competing obligations of pastoring, diplomacy, managing, and praying is an immense responsibility and obligation. He needs the intercession of all Christians to fulfill these as Christ would have him.
Doug Coombs, Albuquerque, N.M., USA
Deep and defensive bigotry
My last remaining shreds of connection to and affection for the Church were severed with the election of this pope. The reasons for this are many and complex, but, put simply, he exemplifies in the highest degree that deep and defensive bigotry which attempts to present itself as moral and intellectual courage: cultural myopia and fear of change given the self-deluding colors of adhering to some asserted version of truth.
Erik Bloom, Baltimore, USA
Orthodox have married clergy
There are many now who believe that there cannot be married priests in the Catholic faith. This is untrue. It was standard up [until] around 900 AD when the Roman Catholic Church broke from the Orthodox faith. I wonder if Benedict XVI can even consider the possibility of restoring this. It would bring the Catholic and Orthodox faiths closer. But probably not, due to money and paying for widows' pensions.
Robert Bellarn, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Let divine love permeate
Ultimately, it doesn't matter what view the new Pope takes concerning homosexuality, women's place in the church, contraception, or any other issue. So long as divine Love permeates his thought then the decisions that come forth will bring blessings for all. And that is what I am praying for!
Bill Fleming, Chipping Sodbury, UK
True 'defender of church doctrine'
If the pope is truly a 'defender of church doctrine', then he'll do all that is possible to fulfill the most basic principles of the faith: care for the poor and the sick. That means surrendering the campaign against homosexuals, contraceptives, and other purely 'moral' issues and instead focus all attention on the millions in Africa who are in urgent need of relief.
Blaise FitzPatrick, Philadelphia, Penn., USA
Manage diversity with balance
One of the big challenges facing Pope Benedict XVI is managing the diversity of the constituency of the Catholic Church. Balancing the concerns of traditionalists, liberals, people in the third world, men, women, young, old, and so on will not be easy, especially in areas where one group is in direct opposition to another. I trust God that the new pope will act always with faith and humility, pracitising what he preaches and leading with compassion.
Kat Mayo, Sydney, Australia
Seek unity, seek peace
The greatest challenges is to contunue the unity of peace with all religious groups extending the message that we all recognize that there is a supreme God and regardless what we call ourselves there is only one God whom we all serve, the one that brings us in unity with one another.
Second he should allow priests to marry if they choose to...Concerning gay marriges, I cannot see [his taking]a position than what Pope John had, we need to stick to Biblical principles. ... Abortion we should not let it reach to that stage. We should get control of the situation before it riches that a life has to be cut short... all life has the same value.
Juana C. Lino, Los Angeles, Calif., USA
Fight hard for peace among all people
It is with great pleasure and releif that those of us who are American Roman Catholics receive the news that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has been elected Pope.
It is signicicant also that he chose the name Benedict XVI. Pope Bendecict XV sought to bring together the warring factions during WWI and fought hard for peace among all people. We are pleased.
Jeff Francis, Cambridge, Mass., USA
Address simple needs
As with Pope Benedict XVI, when I was young I had progressive views. But as I grew older my views became more conservative. Isn't this the "norm?" In my humble opinon this new pope would do well to show his deep respect for humanity by addressing our simple needs, advising we simpify our lives, pray more, demand less.
Angie Cordieor, Ojai, Calif., USA
Refine and assume his own style
Keep the Faith that has been entrusted on him; continue to evangelize; increase Church presence in world affairs while preserving doctrine. Travel as much as he can to the present areas of [church] growth such as South America and Africa. Not to try to be a John Paul II, he will never be, therefore [he should] develop and smoothen his own personal style.
Ramon Boza, M.D., Miami Shores, Florida, USA
Convince 'liberals' why it's worth staying in the church
The biggest challenge facing Pope Benedict XVI is convincing "liberals" in the church that it's worth staying. Convince us of why priests should not be allowed to marry, or be female, or homosexual, and convince us of the church's priority to preserve life in all its stages, and to end poverty. For Pope Benedict XVI, modern culture itself seems to be a "challenge," but it is also an opportunity. Our knowledge and diversity of opinions on issues of abortion, gender, war, religion, and class are gifts, not illnesses, and he should respect that, not condemn it.
Daniel Marrin, Alexandria, Va., USA
Sex-abuse scandals, shortage of nuns and priests
The three biggest challenges are: 1) The priest sex-abuse scandals that have cost the church millions in settlements in the United States and elsewhere; 2) Coping with a chronic shortage of priests and nuns in the West; 3) Halting the stream of people leaving a church indifferent to teachings they no longer find relevant.
Bill Russell, Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA
Ensure Catholicism is not diluted by progressives
The most important challenges for Pope Benedict XVI is to ensure that Roman Catholicism is not diluted or altered by progressives and modernists. One message that the new pope sends is in the name he selected. The last pope of that name sought world peace as he witnessed the most horrid war up until his time, World War I.
Jake Nunes, Cambridge, Mass., USA
Reform
He should reform the role of money in the power of the Vatican by doing things like selling its assets to fund micro-enterprise programs in the developing world. He should also allow women to be priests, allow priests to marry, and allow gays to marry.
Tricia Mullen, Sleepy Hollow, New York, USA