All night party in new Pope's hometown

People had poured into the streets of the town of 2,700 souls on Tuesday evening after German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected to lead 1.1 billion Roman Catholics worldwide.

The town's volunteer firefighters organised an impromptu party as the faithful chanted "Benedict from Bavaria, we want to celebrate you!"

A giant portrait of the white-haired cardinal was hung in front of the town hall and streamers in the yellow and white colours of the Vatican were unfurled from the windows of the pretty wood-framed houses. Bells at the local church rang out.

One resident, Karl Muhlcahler, 79, said on Wednesday he had happy memories of meeting the then cardinal when he visited his hometown in 1997 to be made an honorary citizen.

"Cardinal Ratzinger is a very pleasant man, not at all the distant figure he is portrayed as in the newspapers," Muhlcahler said.