White smoke and the ringing of bells signaled the election of a new spiritual head of the Catholic faith to the crowd of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was elected as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by the College of Cardinals and took the name Pope Benedict XVI.

That choice by Ratzinger may be indicative of a desire of many of the cardinals to maintain tradition, particularly that of John Paul II.

“I think that a major factor in the selection was a belief that Cardinal Ratzinger would provide continuity with the policies of his predecessors,” said David Hunter, professor of religious studies and Supple chairman of Catholic studies.

Benedict XVI’s new role as pope will not be his first experience with making important decisions for the church. As a cardinal, Benedict led the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the group considered responsible for safeguarding the fundamentals of the Catholic faith since 1981.

His work with the congregation has earned Benedict XVI a strongly conservative reputation. This perception may cause strain with more liberal factions of the Catholic faith, Hunter said.

“There will certainly be disappointment in this choice among more liberal Catholics who are hoping for change in the church, [for example] on matters of the ordination of women or the issue of priestly celibacy,” he said. “On the other hand, more conservative Catholics will be glad about the choice of someone who upholds traditional doctrine.”

At 78, the new pope is two decades older than his predecessor John Paul II was when he was elected pope. This may be an indication that the cardinals were looking for a pope who would serve a shorter term than the prolific John Paul II.

“The cardinals probably wanted someone who would not have as long a pontificate as Pope John Paul II. In this sense, he is probably to be viewed as a ‘transitional’ figure, someone who is not likely to define the office as clearly as Pope John Paul II did,” Hunter said.

However, the election of an aged pontiff has not always ensured a more stayed term, said the Rev. Everett Hemann of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 2210 Lincoln Way.

Hemann cites the election of Pope John XXIII, who was elected as a dark horse candidate — he was expected to serve a short term, Hemann said, yet became one of the most progressive popes and was best remembered for calling the Second Vatican Council. The council made changes in how church sacraments were practiced, allowed the use of languages other than Latin for Mass and encouraged a new attitude toward non-Catholics.

“I think it is possible [Benedict XVI] may do some things the electors and you and I would not expect a 78-year-old man to do,” Hemann said.

Benedict XVI, however, is not a compromise candidate — Cardinal Ratzinger was elected on only the third round of balloting. The decisive nature of Benedict XVI’s election shows the cardinals’ confidence that they made the correct choice.

“It was a very quick decision on the part of the cardinals. This indicates that there was a strong sentiment from early on that Cardinal Ratzinger was the right choice,” Hunter said.

Father Hemann said he believes Benedict XVI has the experience needed to lead the Catholic Church in the modern era.

— CNN contributed to this article.