Publicly deemed a "transitional pope," 78-year-old Benedict XVI is now responsible for narrowing the gap between John Paul II's reign and a newer, more progressive papacy.
Students at the St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center expressed emotions ranging from disappointment to hopefulness to utter excitement about the new pope.
Ashley Roland, a media arts junior, said although she felt slightly disappointed by the cardinals' choice, she believes his election will ultimately serve an important purpose.
"I'm slightly disappointed that he's not a more progressive pope, or at least it doesn't seem that way," Roland said. "But I'm glad to see he has firm stances on issues, which is a sign of good character. I wish he was a little more youthful. But we believe he was elected for a reason and the Holy Spirit will work through him regardless."
Evan Richards, an optical sciences and engineering junior, said his initial reservations about the new pope changed when he observed the reactions of the Catholic community.
"At first I was kind of disappointed because I was really hoping for someone to emerge out of Latin America or a Third World country," Richards said. "But after seeing how well the Cardinals have reacted, and especially hearing what (Benedict) had to say at his first Papal Mass yesterday, that disappointment changed to excitement."
Mary Byram, a linguistics junior, said she felt comforted and reassured by the fact that Benedict closely interacted with John Paul II.
"I have to confess I'm very relieved that they picked someone close to John Paul II, because he really had something good going," Byram said. "He was very strong and it's nice to see the transition eased a little bit."
Bart Hutcherson, pastor of the Catholic Newman Center and Catholic campus minister to the university community, said the new papacy is a time of hope and transition.
"I think the beginning of any papacy is a time of hope, but in addition, the College of Cardinals chose a man to step into the shoes of a very popular pope," Hutcherson said. "It's not something just anyone could do. It's not an enviable position. What they chose was continuity."
Melissa Varieur, a pre-pharmacy sophomore, said she was excited to see history unfold.
"I actually woke up just in time for the big announcement, which was cool," Varieur said. "It's interesting. I'm really excited to see what direction he takes. Hopefully he does a good job while he's here."
Jay Alexander, a material science and engineering sophomore, said he thinks the new pope's priorities will help him accomplish great things.
"I'm definitely hopeful, because in the papal Mass he was talking about greater unity of all Christians which I was excited about," Alexander said.
Hutcherson also said he hopes Benedict is able to reach out to the youth the way John Paul did, despite his old age.
"Young people responded to this man because he believed in them," Hutcherson said. "My hope is that Benedict XVI will take seriously his responsibilities to energize young people in the same way or the sake of the future of the church."
Kevin Brady, a history sophomore said overall, he was excited to see what the papacy had in store for the future.
"You never know what's going to happen once the pope gets going," Brady said.