Facts: - birth name: joseph aloisius ratzinger - predecessor: john paul ii - birth date: 16 april 1927 - parents: joseph peintner -rrb- ratzinger , sr. and maria ratzinger -lrb- nee - consecrated by: josef stangl - caption: benedict xvi in 2010 - term end: 28 february 2013 - created cardinal by: paul vi - name: benedict xvi - birth place: marktl , germany - other: benedict - previous post: archbishop -rrb- of munich and freising -lrb- 1977 -- 1982 - signature: pope benedict xvi signature.svg - type: pope - consecration: 28 may 1977 - successor: francis - ordination: 29 june 1951 - nationality: german -lrb- with vatican citizenship -rrb- - residence: mater ecclesiae monastery - cardinal: 27 june 1977 - ordained by: michael von faulhaber - term start: 19 april 2005 - coat of arms: bxvi coa like gfx piom.svg - image: benedykt xvi -lrb- 2010-10-17 -rrb- 4.jpg Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of pope benedict xvi .
pope benedict xvi -lrb- ; ; born joseph aloisius ratzinger ; ; on 16 april 1927 -rrb- served as pope of the catholic church from 2005 until his resignation in 2013 .benedict was elected on 19 april 2005 in a papal conclave following the death of pope john paul ii and was inaugurated on 24 april 2005 .ordained as a priest in 1951 in his native bavaria , ratzinger established himself as a highly regarded university theologian by the late 1950s and was appointed a full professor in 1958 .after a long career as an academic and professor of theology at several german universities , he was appointed archbishop of munich and freising and cardinal by pope paul vi in 1977 , an unusual promotion for someone with little pastoral experience .in 1981 , he settled in rome when he became prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith , one of the most important dicasteries of the roman curia .from 2002 until his election as pope , he was also dean of the college of cardinals , and as such , the '' primus inter pares '' among the cardinals .prior to becoming pope , he was '' a major figure on the vatican stage for a quarter of a century '' ; he had an influence '' second to none when it came to setting church priorities and directions '' as one of john paul ii 's closest confidants .he was originally a liberal theologian , but adopted conservative views after 1968 .his prolific writings defend traditional catholic doctrine and values .during his papacy , benedict xvi advocated a return to fundamental christian values to counter the increased secularisation of many western countries .he views relativism 's denial of objective truth , and the denial of moral truths in particular , as the central problem of the 21st century .he taught the importance of both the catholic church and an understanding of god 's redemptive love .pope benedict also revived a number of traditions , including elevating the tridentine mass to a more prominent position .he renewed the relationship between the catholic church and...