The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Vatican City - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, a conservative and longtime trusted adviser of John Paul II, has been elected the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Ratzinger, 78, the first Germanic pope since the 11th century, has taken the name Benedict XVI. The 265th pontiff emerged on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, overlooking St. Peter's Square, where he addressed the cheering crowd of tens of thousands of people. "Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me Ð a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord," he said. Ratzinger served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He has disciplined church dissidents and upheld church policy against attempts by liberals for reforms. Madrid - A court in Spain on Tuesday convicted a former Argentine naval officer for his role in Argentina's "dirty war," sentencing him to 640 years in prison. Three judges with Spain's National Court convicted Adolfo Scilingo of crimes against humanity during Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship. The court said Scilingo took an active role in the government's drive to crush leftist dissent. Beijing - Japan's Foreign Minister Machimura Nobutaka wrapped up a two-day, tension filled, visit to China Tuesday after failing to get an apology for widespread anti-Japanese protests.4/20/2005
