Hmmm. I hoped that they would not do this, but feared they would!

Joseph Ratzinger had set (up) the whole scene very cleverly. Only he, who had run the curia for last few years, could have presided over the funeral and the conclave. The weight of momentum was with him.

The question was whether the 'open cardinals', there being no 'liberal' ones, could focus on one candidate after John Paul II outlived the health, if not the life, of Carlo Martini of Milan. Maybe the third world vote was split between Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina and Fracis Arinze of Nigeria? Maybe one of them will succeed Benedict XVI?

Joseph Ratzinger is a traditionalist who is also strangely, rigidly, set still in 'European modernity'. In terms of the impact on the future of Europe, maybe ironically, they have chosen a 'modern' cat to chase a 'postmodern mouse'?

There are 3 perceptive articles in today's Independent. Two by Paul Vallely, Associate Editor,

'The boy who became Pope'

'A pope who believes it is far better to be right than popular'

and one by Catherine Pepinster, editor of The Tablet

'A German Pope chosen to save Europe: the fact that Ratzinger chose not to be John Paul III shows he will be keen to be a distinctive Pope'