Cartoonists Comment on New Pope -- and Some Aren't Happy

By: E&P Staff Editorial cartoonists -- many of whom have liberal or centrist views -- are, not surprisingly, less than thrilled about the choice of conservative Joseph Ratzinger as the new pope.

For instance, today's Signe Wilkinson cartoon shows an irate female wearing a cross and an "Ordain Women" button as black smoke streams out of her ears. Wilkinson -- of The Philadelphia Daily News and the Washington Post Writers Group -- drew the woman reading a newspaper with the headline "Traditionalist Elected Pope" and the subhead "White Smoke."

Mike Keefe of The Denver Post drew white smoke emerging from the Vatican to spell out the words "business as usual." Meanwhile, a man holds a newspaper with the headline "New Pope: Ratzinger, John Paul II's Conservative Aide."

Jimmy Margulies of The Record of Hackensack, N.J., and King Features Syndicate pictured a man (labeled "Catholics") dancing with a woman (labeled "21st Century"). Ratzinger -- aka Pope Benedict XVI -- holds a ruler to measure the distance between the couple and says: "You know the rules. No dancing too close together now."

A more ambivalent take came from Dana Summers of The Orlando Sentinel and Tribune Media Services. He drew Pope Benedict XVI holding a piece of paper with the words "abortion," "stem cells," "celibacy," and "women clergy." The late Pope John Paul II tells his successor: "Psst! Stay the Course."

Jeff Koterba of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald and King seems to be supporting Ratzinger as he shows the new pope sternly holding a cross in opposition to a Dracula-like figure labeled "moral relativism."