Cardinal Arinze was tipped by some because he had headed the Vatican body that maintains links withotherreligions, and was thus seen as a man who could develop the church's dialogue with them crucially, with Islam.
But because of burdens he inherited and ongoing problems in his own pontificate, Benedict fell short of the mark he set for himself on unifying the church, building relationships withotherreligions and restoring the church's influence in broader society.