Message from our New York bureau:

White steam is rising from the cooling vents on the roof of the Hilton Hotel across the street....

Wonder how this guy will celebrate?

Dog and a beer here? Don't think so. According to his biography, "Cardinal Ratzinger was a member of the Hitler Youth and in 1943 was part of an anti-aircraft battery guarding a BMW factory outside Munich......."


Vatican sources say Ratzinger has already been given the affecionate nickname Pope "Eggs" Benedict XVI. But no confirmation as yet that his first official visit will be to, er, Poland.


"Springtime for ...."


Bloomberg, as always on the case, have said it’s the quickest papal election since 1978... hmmmmm.


UPDATE: A devout catholic in our office has just told colleagues that Ratzinger "was forced into it..." Just following orders, eh...?

Sounds like the old Kurt Waldheimlich manoeuver, where you're forced to cough up Swiss bank account numbers.... (hat tip)



OH, FOR GOODNESS SAKE.....

Our story reads:

"Amid scenes of confusion and excitement in St Peter’s Square Rome on Tuesday a plume of white smoke from the Vatican signalled that the conclave of cardinals had elected a new Pope. The bells of St Peter’s pealed to confirm the news but the identity of the new pontiff was not known until he appeared on the balcony of the basilica to deliver his first pubic address."

Must have been something to see.