At just after 11 Tuesday morning, the phone at St. Paul Catholic Church rang, and the pastor, the Rev. Patrick Farrell, turned on his television as instructed.

He joined the rest of the world waiting to learn who the new leader of his faith would be.

“I have given my life to the church,” Farrell said. “(The pope) is very important to it. It will affect everyone in the church, especially priests. He is what the successor of Peter is to us in faith. He is the sign and source of unity in our church.”

Forty minutes after the call, Farrell and the world learned that the 265th leader of the 1.1 billion Roman Catholics would be the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, a conservative known for his alignment with Pope John Paul II, who died at the Vatican on April 2.

As Farrell waited, he said he didn’t have a favorite among those under consideration by the church’s 115 “princes,” or cardinals. But, he said, he knew the elected pontiff would have to be able to relate to the world.

“We live in a big world… He will have to relate to people,” he said. “I’m amazed – as I was looking over the college of cardinals – they speak up to 12 or 15 languages. The pope is someone who can relate to the world and its diversity and speak to it.”

With speculation looming from television announcers, Farrell sat quietly.

But he did say he had expected the cardinals’ voting, or conclave, to take longer than the two days that followed its beginning on Monday, 16 days after the death of 84-year-old John Paul II’s death.

“It might be that they know each other better,” he said. “The world has grown smaller with media and travel.”

Across Vicksburg, the Rev. P.J. Curley, St. Michael Catholic Church pastor, said he also watched as the announcement was made.

“Wasn’t that exciting?” he said. “It’s an exciting time for the church. For the young people, it’s their first time experiencing the election process.

“We’re a very human church. We make a lot of mistakes and do a lot of good and we pray that the Holy Spirit will constantly be leading us,” he said.

Curley said he believes Ratzinger will follow in the footsteps of John Paul II, whom he described as “great with the media.”

“And he loved the young people,” Curley said. “In everyday terms, he made a great name for himself – especially with the young people,” Curley said.

At St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the Rev. Charles Boykins, pastor, said he was not surprised by the election. He also said he was happy with the decision.

“The report as the cardinals went into the conclave was that he was the front-runner,” he said. “I’m happy Cardinal Ratzinger got it because of the continuity with the other pope. I think we need a pope who stays the course to discern which way the Lord is leading us – someone who is steady at the helm.”

With candidates from Italy, Europe, Latin America and Africa, Farrell said the old expectation of having a pope from Italy – the unwritten rule for centuries – has dwindled.

“Now, the expectation is that he will not be Italian,” he said. “Latin America, Asia and Africa have been much more important, and they have a lot of cardinals. Once, the college of cardinals was dominated by Europeans.”

As the red curtain that leads to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica was pulled back for the announcement of the new pope, Farrell readied himself.

“Here we come,” he said.

In his 45 years since ordination, Farrell said he has watched four popes take over.

He explained the process.

“Somebody will come out and tell who he is. Then (the pope) will come out and give a blessing – urbi et orbi – which means for the city and the world,” Farrell said.

As Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez made the announcement, Farrell sat pensively, translating Latin into English for the visitors to St. Paul’s rectory.

“‘Dear brothers and sisters -I announce to you with great joy – we have a pope,'” he said.