Pope Benedict elected

Today, you've no doubt heard, Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope, taking the name Benedict. I was disappointed, after such hopeful talk about electing a Latin American or African Pope, to find a Pope from Germany elected instead. From CNN.com, I find these quotes indicating that this new Pope may be more, not less conservative and traditional than Pope John Paul II was:
"As a young priest he was on the progressive side of theological debates but shifted to the right after the student revolutions of 1968. In the Vatican, he has been the driving force behind crackdowns on liberation theology, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional moral teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and dissent on such issues as women's ordination. "

What a shame. But I guess we'll wait and see how things pan out. Also to note is the new pope's age: 78. I read of speculation before the voting on how old the pope would be - an older pope perhaps suggesting the desire for a sort-of 'interim' pope of sorts.