New Pope Benedict XVI held his first mass on Wednesday in Sistine Chapel, some 15 hours after being chosen the new Pope of Rome to replace last John Paul II.

``I pray I will be up to his measure. At this moment I see his smiling eyes turned toward me,’’ said Pope Benedict XVI.
He has chosen the name after Benedict XV, who was Pope from 1914 until his death in 1922, and behaved peacefully and wisely trying to keep neutrality over the World War I and did his best to end the war.

Joseph Ratzinger, 78, German cardinal, is the first German pontiff since Victor II in the 11th century, and the oldest cardinal to be elected pope since Clement XII, who was also 78 when chosen in 1730. The choice points at the demand to longterm popes to be replaced by shorterm ones.

Benedict will be the 265th pontiff after the long 26-year papacy of John Paul II who died on April 2.