Pope profile

ROME, April 19 - The man who has become Pope Benedict XVI was a product of wartime Germany, but also of a deeply Roman Catholic region, Bavaria.

This is a historical lead that goes on for several paragraphs to discuss the new pope's childhood in Nazi Germany. It includes his brief time as a member of Hitlers youth movement.

"Along his way to the papacy, he built a distinguished academic career as a theologian, and then spent nearly a quarter century as Pope John Paul II's theological visionary - and enforcer of strict positions on doctrine, morality and the primacy of the faith."

This is the nut graph, which did not appear until the 6th paragraph. I thought this was successful because any ties to Nazi Germany is going to draw a reader in.

He makes good use of scenes describing the new popes child hood in Nazi Germany. His expierence in battles and when he viewed death camps.

The writer could have done more to describe his physical features he mentions his deep eyes and white hair. However, he did a good job describing his intelligence, which I think in this case is more important. The new pope was an educator, he has earned his doctorate and that he speaks 10 different languages including excellent English.