Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his first mass as leader of his church's 1.1 billion Catholics, and, according to this report from Fox News:

In a message read in Latin at the end of the service, the pontiff pledged to continue the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council and to work to unify all Christians, as he outlined goals following an election that sent a signal the church was intent on sticking to tradition as it confronts 21st-century problems.

So fears that Benedict would turn back the clock to the 12th century may have to be put on hold for just a little while.

MORE: Well, it didn't take Maureen Dowd long:

The white smoke yesterday signaled that the Vatican thinks what it needs to bring it into modernity is the oldest pope since the 18th century: Joseph Ratzinger, a 78-year-old hidebound archconservative who ran the office that used to be called the Inquisition and who once belonged to Hitler Youth. For American Catholics - especially women and Democratic pro-choice Catholic pols - the cafeteria is officially closed. After all, Cardinal Ratzinger, nicknamed "God's Rottweiler" and "the Enforcer," helped deny Communion rights to John Kerry and other Catholic politicians in the 2004 election.

There you have it: Ageism, anti-Catholic bigotry and Nazi-smearing all wrapped neatly into one paragraph. She's nothing if not efficient.

MORE: Donald Luskin offers up a list of 10 things the new pope won't do, including:

The requirement that an actual belief in Christ is required to be a Christian is deemed discriminatory and judgmental; churches will offer alternative methods of qualification, such as "celebrating the magical joy of a baby's smile" or "just sitting in the park, thinkin' about Nature and s***"