Ratzinger was not the Cardinals' first choice for Pope...

[Steve!]

As I understand it, Ratzinger was not the Cardinals first choice for pope.

That was, interestingly, Cardinal Hans Grapje.

Grapje was raised in a Catholic school in The Hague and, as a young man, aspired to become a priest, but was drafted into the Army during WWII and spent two years copiloting B17s until his aircraft was shot down in 1943 and he lost his left arm. Captain Grapje spent the rest of the war as a chaplain, giving spiritual aid to soldiers, both Allied and enemy.

After the war, he became a priest, serving as a missionary in Africa, piloting his own plane (in spite of his handicap) to villages across the continent.

In 1997, Father Grapje was serving in Zimbabwe when an explosion in a silver mine caused a cave-in. Archbishop Grapje went down into the mine to administer last rites to those too severely injured to move.

Another shaft collapsed, and he was buried for three days, suffering multiple injuries, including the loss of his right eye. The high silver content in the mine's air gave him purport, a life-long condition characterized by purplish skin blotches.

Although Cardinal Grapje devoted his life to the service of God as a scholar, mentor, and holy man, church leaders determined that he should never ascend to the Papacy.

They felt that the Church would never accept a one-eyed, one-armed, flying purple Papal leader.

[Steve!]

Three good friends, Martinez, Secola, and O'Brian, attended Catholic grade school together, Catholic high school together, and all three decided to enter the priesthood together.

They all three became assistant Parish priests at the same time, they all three became head priests of parishes at the same time. But that's when things changed.

Ramirez and O'Brian were made bishops, but Secola remained a priest.

Then Ramirez and O'Brian were made Archbishops, but Secola wasn't progressed.

Then Ramirez and O'Brian were made Cardinals, but Secola stayed where he was.

Finally he couldn't take it. He found some way to receive an audience with the pope, and said, "I am grateful for my parish, and the people in it, and for the work I can do for the church. But I have a question."

The pope held up his hand and said, "I understand, my son. You want to know why you weren't made a bishop, an archbishop, a cardinal when your friends were."

Father Secola nodded, stunned.

The pope went on, "Well, you see, 'Father Secola' works, 'Bishop Secola' is fine, even 'Cardinal Secola'. We just couldn't take the chance on you becoming 'Pope Secola'".