The new pope addresses the crowd in St. Peter's Square.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has been selected by the Roman Catholic church as the new pope.
Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez of Chile made the announcement to a cheering crowd in St. Peter's Square.
Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI, appeared on the balcony of the Vatican Basilica to greet the people and deliver his first papal blessing.
"Dear brothers and sisters, the great pope, John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me to work in the vineyard of the Lord," according to a translation of remarks he made in Italian. "I am consoled by the fact that I entrust myself to your prayers."