Pope Benedict XVI

About Pope Benedict XVI

Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, he was elected to lead the Catholic Church in 2005 and in 2013, he became the first pope to resign since the 1400s. Before he was Pope he was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which, among its other duties, handled all reports of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI is a retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus" upon his resignation. Ordained as a priest in 1951 in his native Bavaria, Ratzinger embarked on an academic career and established himself as a highly regarded theologian by the late 1950s. He was appointed a full professor in 1958 at the age of 31. After a long career as a professor of theology at several German universities, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and created a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977, an unusual promotion for someone with little pastoral experience. In 1981, he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the most important dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

Previous post	Dean of the College of Cardinals (2002–2005), Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia (2002–2005), Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni (1993–2005), Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1982–2005), President of the International Theological Commission (1982–2005), President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission (1982–2005), Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino (1977–1993), Archbishop of Munich and Freising (1977–1982)
Ordination	29 June 1951, by Michael von Faulhaber
Parents	Joseph Ratzinger Sr, Maria Peintner
Created Cardinal	27 June 1977, by Paul VI
Birth name	Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger
Diocese	Diocese of Rome
Installed	19 April 2005
Residence	Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, Vatican City
Term ended	28 February 2013
Consecration	28 May 1977, by Josef Stangl
See	Holy See
Motto	Cooperatores veritatis, ('Cooperators of the truth')
Born	April 16, 1927, Marktl, Bavaria, German Reich
Nationality	German
Successor	Francis
Predecessor	John Paul II

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Trivia

He was drafted into the German army in WWII, but an infection in his finger kept him away from the front lines.

Pope Benedict XVI before fame

Despite his family's opposition to the Nazi Party, he was forced into the Hitler Youth as a child in Traunstein, Germany. In 1951, he was ordained as a priest in Bavaria, where he was born.

Achievement of Pope Benedict XVI

During WWII, he was drafted into the German army, but a finger infection stopped him from serving on the front lines.

Salary 2020

Not known

Net Worth 2020

Undisclosed

Pope Benedict XVI family life

Nazis harassed his parents, Maria and Joseph Ratzinger, Sr. After deserting his regiment, he returned home in 1945, but was apprehended by Americans who had set up camp in his home and transferred to a POW camp.

Associations of Pope Benedict XVI

His favorite composer was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Pope Benedict XVI Height, Weight & Physique Measurements

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