We asked readers to respond to the news of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger being elected today as the next pope. Here is a sample of the responses we received.

"I'm relieved. After all, a church is nothing if it does not adhere to its values. Changing or weakening those values because of pressure from people who want approval for whatever they choose to do, would destroy the Church. It's the Church, it's about values, not polls!"

— Larry Clemens, Poulsbo, WA

"Cardinal Ratzinger is no John Paul. He will maintain the course and not rock the boat. He is conservative, he is old and he is safe. He is a transitional Pope who will make way for another great Pope."

— Patrick DeLorenzo, Potomac, MD

"I think Cardinal Ratzinger is an excellent choice for Pope. Given the very challenges you list — abortion, a shortage of priests, and the role of women and gays in the church — he is an even better choice.

The Church is not a political entity that should be swayed by public opinion or expediency. Rather, it is a religious body that should be guided by it's foundational document (the Bible), church tradition, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I have confidence that this new Pope will lead the Church with a strong hand and resist the temptation to do what is popular. Rather, he will do what is right. Cardinal Ratzinger may not be the "trendy" choice, but he is the right choice to lead the Church into the future without sacrificing its identity and mission."

"Ugh. So much for the church progressing into the 20th century. I'm one very disappointed member of the church."

— Chris Jones, Seattle, WA

"I think he is a good choice and the right choice for today. It's getting to be a cliche, but we are awash in moral relativism and the Catholic Church should not succumb to that. I believe this pope will stand firm and hold to church teachings. The Catholic Church should not bend to the changes of society. If that is what many Catholics want, perhaps they should find a new religion. There are a lot of them out there who's doctrine is defined by it's congregation."

— Kathy Neukirchen, Seattle, WA

"I think the new pope will make it harder for many American Catholics to remain in the church."

— Maura Larkins, North Bend, OR

"I think he's a great choice because he is probably the best living exemplar of our Lord's point of view for His Church. Once people begin to understand (and I think they will once they experience his personal warmth and humility) that the new Pope's point of view isn't simply rigid or doctrinaire but comes from what our Lord wants for us rather than from our world or culture, a great benefit to us will be realized: a much better world can come from living God's way than from the world's way."

— Steve Tredway, Snohomish, WA

"Doesn't he get that there have been enough Benedicts already?"

— Tom Morgan, Seattle, WA

"Absolutely the worse choice from a bad lot. His job for the last 25 years has been to squash liberal Catholicism and to maintain order — much like the Inquisition in time of Galileo. I cannot see him spending one iota of effort to mend the divisions within contemporary Catholicism, based on a quarter-century of experience heightening those divisions."

— RaGena DeAragon, Spokane, WA

"I'm just surprised to see a Germany Cardinal got selected as a pope. Otherwise, I'm here to congratulate him. It's quite fast to have a new pope elected. I don't think he's a good choice, since I believe he may not have any experiences in the issues facing in US at this moment."

— Alex Nguyen, Seattle, WA