As I understand it, Ratzinger was not the Cardinal's first
choice.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 co-piloting 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 rights 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 purpura, 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 felt 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.
got this from a stock board I read. Apologies to the Catholic contingent here, but I know you have to have a sense of humor!