The president-elect said he would have to "conform a new government, " though he quickly added that he would ratify Vice President Jorge Arreaza, Chavez's son-in-law, in his post.
That the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was second only to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 conclave that elected Ratzinger pope has only added to the popular imagination about how these two popes of such different style, background and priorities might get along.