Will Pope Benedict XVI be harsh and oppressive with his flock? Of course not, despite the rather fierce reputation he has been saddled with, Benedict XVI is a very kind, humble and approachable man, as is verified by everyone who has ever met him. However, though he may be very tolerant, something he will not tolerate is heresy and unorthodoxy and we can expect Benedict XVI to see to it that Church doctrine is defended, that there is no compromise with passing trends and that we may even be about to get a little closer to the "roots" of our Catholic faith. Personally, I would not be surprised if we started hearing more Latin, started seeing priests facing the altar again and finally see what Pope Benedict XVI called the "reform of the reform" of the Second Vatican Council, from which so much confusion unfortunately flowed.
Let us thank God for this great shepherd He has given us and pray for the Pope in his work:
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, hear our prayers and let our cries come unto You. We, Your humble children, wish to give You our abundant thanks, our deepest gratitude and express our great joy at the gift You so mercifully gave to Your children on earth in the person of Pope Benedict XVI. We thank you exceedingly Heavenly Father, for giving us in this time of trial a shepherd of such strength, wisdom, courage and humility. We ask Divine Lord, that Your protecting hand would cover him, that you would deliver him from all of his enemies, make him a shining light of Your Truth, that Your peace and blessing would descend upon him and remain with him forever as he carries out this awesome task of guiding Your flock on earth, feeding Your lambs as Christ first commanded to St Peter. Grant him many years to reign over us, guide his hand in all he does and strengthen His heart by the example of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as he lives out his vocation from the Holy Spirit. We give thanks and ask these things in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
