Biography of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI | BENEDICT XVI OF HIS HOLINESS, POPE BENEDICT XVI Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, was born at Marktl am Inn, Diocese of Passau (Germany) on 16 April 1927 (Holy Saturday) and was baptised on the same day. His father, a policeman, belonged to an old family of farmers from Lower Bavaria of modest economic resources. His mother was the daughter of artisans from Rimsting on the shore of Lake Chiem, and before marrying she worked as a cook in a number of hotels. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Traunstein, a small village near the Austrian border, thirty kilometres from Salzburg. In this environment, which he himself has defined as "Mozartian", he received his Christian, cultural and human formation. His youthful years were not easy. His faith and the education received at home prepared him for the harsh experience of those years during which the Nazi regime pursued a hostile attitude towards the Catholic Church. The young Joseph saw how some Nazis beat the Parish Priest before the celebration of Mass.

It was precisely during that complex situation that he discovered the beauty and truth of faith in Christ; fundamental for this was his family’s attitude, who always gave a clear witness of goodness and hope, rooted in a convinced attachment to the Church. He was enrolled in an auxiliary anti-aircraft corps until September 1944. From 1946 to 1951 he studied philosophy and theology in the Higher School of Philosophy and Theology of Freising and at the University of Munich. He received his priestly ordination on 29 June 1951. A year later he began teaching at the Higher School of Freising. In 1953 he obtained his doctorate in theology with a thesis entitled "People and House of God in St Augustine’s Doctrine of the Church". Four years later, under the direction of the renowned professor of fundamental theology Gottlieb Söhngen, he qualified for University teaching with a dissertation on: "The Theology of History in St Bonaventure".

After lecturing on dogmatic and fundamental theology at the Higher School of Philosophy and Theology in Freising, he went on to teach at Bonn, from 1959 to1963; at Münster from 1963 to 1966 and at Tübingen from 1966 to 1969. During this last year he held the Chair of dogmatics and history of dogma at the University of Regensburg, where he was also Vice-President of the University. From 1962 to 1965 he made a notable contribution to Vatican II as an "expert"; being present at the Council as theological advisor of Cardinal Joseph Frings, Archbishop of Cologne. His intense scientific activity led him to important positions at the service of the German Bishops’ Conference and the International Theological Commission. In 1972 together with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac and other important theologians, he initiated the theological journal "Communio". On 25 March 1977 Pope Paul VI named him Archbishop of Munich and Freising. On 28 May of the same year he received episcopal ordination.

He was the first Diocesan priest for 80 years to take on the pastoral governance of the great Bavarian Archdiocese. He chose as his episcopal motto: "Cooperators of the truth". He himself explained why: "On the one hand I saw it as the relation between my previous task as professor and my new mission. In spite of different approaches, what was involved, and continued to be so, was following the truth and being at its service. On the other hand I chose that motto because in today’s world the theme of truth is omitted almost entirely, as something too great for man, and yet everything collapses if truth is missing". Paul VI made him a Cardinal with the priestly title of "Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino", during the Consistory of 27 June of the same year. In 1978 he took part in the Conclave of 25 and 26 August which elected John Paul I, who named him his Special Envoy to the III International Mariological Congress, celebrated in Guayaquil (Ecuador) from 16 to 24 September. In the month of October of the same year he took part in the Conclave that elected Pope John Paul II.

He was Relator of the V Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops which took place in 1980 on the theme: "Mission of the Christian Family in the world of today", and was Delegate President of the VI Ordinary General Assembly of 1983 on "Reconciliation and Penance in the mission of the Church". John Paul II named him Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the International Theological Commission on 25 November 1981. On 15 February 1982 he resigned the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. The Holy Father elevated him to the Order of Bishops assigning to him the Suburbicarian See of Velletri-Segni on 5 April 1993. He was President of the Preparatory Commission for the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which after six years of work (1986-1992) presented the new Catechism to the Holy Father.

On 6 November 1998 the Holy Father approved the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals, submitted by the Cardinals of the Order of Bishops. On 30 November 2002 he approved his election as Dean; together with this office he was entrusted with the Suburbicarian See of Ostia. In 1999 he was Special Papal Envoy for the Celebration of the XII Centenary of the foundation of the Diocese of Paderborn, Germany which took place on 3 January. Since 13 November 2000 he has been an Honorary Academic of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

In the Roman Curia he has been a member of the Council of the Secretariat of State for Relations with States; of the Congregations for the Oriental Churches, for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, for Bishops, for the Evangelization of Peoples, for Catholic Education, for Clergy and for the Causes of the Saints; of the Pontifical Councils for Promoting Christian Unity, and for Culture; of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and of the Pontifical Commissions for Latin America, "Ecclesia Dei", for the Authentic Interpretation of the Code of Canon Law, and for the Revision of the Code of Canon Law of the Oriental Churches. Among his many publications special mention should be made of his "Introduction to Christianity", a compilation of University lectures on the Apostolic Creed published in 1968; "Dogma and Preaching" (1973) an anthology of essays, sermons and reflections dedicated to pastoral arguments. His address to the Catholic Academy of Bavaria on "Why I am still in the Church" had a wide resonance; in it he stated with his usual clarity: "one can only be a Christian in the Church, not beside the Church".

His many publications are spread out over a number of years and constitute a point of reference for many people specially for those interested in entering deeper into the study of theology. In 1985 he published his interview-book on the situation of the faith (The Ratzinger Report) and in 1996 "Salt of the Earth". On the occasion of his 70th birthday the volume "At the School of Truth" was published, containing articles by several authors on different aspects of his personality and production. He has received numerous "Honoris Causa" Doctorates, in 1984 from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota; in 1986 from the Catholic University of Lima; in 1987 from the Catholic University of Eichstätt; in 1988 from the Catholic University of Lublin; in 1998 from the University of Navarre; in 1999 from the LUMSA (Libera Università Maria Santissima Assunta) of Rome and in 2000 from the Faculty of Theology of the University of Wrocław in Poland.

© Copyright 2005 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana Facts about Pope Benedict XVI – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs See for yourself below.................The fairy in the sky did NOT create us !!! From Soup to Cells—the Origin of Life Monkey Math: Baboons Show Brain's Ability to Understand Numbers ..........E = mc2..............(U-Pb) numbers do not lie ! May 3, 2013 — Opposing thumbs, expressive faces, complex social systems: it's hard to miss the similarities between apes and humans. Now a new study with a troop of zoo baboons and lots of peanuts shows that a less obvious trait – the ability to understand numbers – also is shared by humans and their primate cousins. OR.........take a ride on a DINO. Fossil records are better to read than the nasty bible..................no god(s) required ! Oldest? New 'Bone-Head' Dinosaur Hints at Higher Diversity of Small Dinosaurs May 7, 2013 — Scientists have named a new species of bone-headed dinosaur (pachycephalosaur) from Alberta, Canada.

Acrotholus audeti (Ack-RHO-tho-LUS) was identified from both recently discovered and historically collected fossils. Approximately six feet long and weighing about 40 kilograms in life, the newly identified plant-eating dinosaur represents the oldest bone-headed dinosaur in North America, and possibly the world. The Science Guy takes on creationism CNN|Added on November 24, 2012 #/video/us/2012/11/24/intv-nye-creationism.cnn May 9, 2013 at 7:54 am | seo tools Good day very cool web site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Wonderful .. I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds alsoI'm satisfied to search out a lot of useful info right here within the publish, we want develop extra techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . . seo tools March 2, 2013 at 2:31 am | Bill Hmmmm....They left out 1927 thru 1945.....guess not much happened in Germany during that period.

February 24, 2013 at 7:05 am | Gordon Well, between 1927 – 1945, Pope Benedict was growing up at home, and despite World War II, probably had a normal, loving upbringing. He may not have received the call to the priesthood until after the War. February 27, 2013 at 8:41 am | Peter Brooks. Kindly visit the eternal spirit within without request to feel all knowing power that protects and comforts us without having to beg as pilots in a mind, body and soul we cannot explain. February 23, 2013 at 3:27 pm | The Five Minute University [youtube= February 11, 2013 at 7:25 pm | The Five Minute of Garbage Garbage post. February 11, 2013 at 8:45 pm | Platypus Rex Actually, it's pretty darn funny!

February 11, 2013 at 10:20 pm | truth be told A few lying ho mose xuals deceived the church and deviously crept into the priesthood to ply their filth on innocents. To continually blame the entire church for those few disgusting ho mose xuals is like blaming banks because there are bank robberies. February 11, 2013 at 5:47 pm | Zingo When the robbers are bank employees, and the bank officers cover it up and send the robbers to other places they can rob, it is indeed correct to blame the bank for robberies. February 11, 2013 at 5:54 pm | -.- Learn the fucking difference between a pedophile and a gay person already, you enabling jerk. Then you may have a goddammed point. Tard. February 11, 2013 at 11:03 pm | 6000 pedophile priests that the RCC ADMITS to, tbt...and you're going to defend THAT??? You're part of the problem.

February 11, 2013 at 11:07 pm | .. truth be told, you're one of those who wants to wear their mother's skin, aren't you? February 12, 2013 at 2:35 am | Michael Morley Its not a few its hundreds.....and....hundreds..... and some of them are in the curia and the Pope has covered for them all. May 9, 2013 at 4:31 am | Fuggedabouthim Funny how the list omits the Hitler Youth days. And the fact that he chose to join the clergy because he was impressed by the fashions. February 11, 2013 at 5:37 pm | EX catholic FACTS... really, really CNN! The real facts are that he is an Idolater, a worshipper of demons. Idolatry IS NOT religion; Idolatry is an aberrant and abhorrent SIN. Idolaters WILL NOT enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Idolatry IS NOT religion.

February 11, 2013 at 3:06 pm | Look, I'm not a fan of the way the RCC has handled some of their internal problems, if you know what I mean, but he isn't an idolator, nor does he worship demons. Catholicism is another faction of Christianity, whether you like it or not. February 11, 2013 at 4:23 pm | Questioner Haha, so what DO you do in the kingdom of heaven? Honestly, do you play harps all day long? Do you have any physical shape? If not, do you feel anything? Do you get bored after years of harp playing and then do you think you are equal to God and do you get thrown down and take the form of a snake and doe this whole story start all over again??? You know you can only play harp and sign sogns for so long before you get bored. So maybe he is lucky not to enter this whole cycle?? What do you think?

February 11, 2013 at 5:40 pm | Honey Badger Dont Care Is it just me or does that guy look like an evil troll in every picture that they take of him? February 11, 2013 at 1:31 pm | Richard Cranium What would you expect from Darth Benedict? February 11, 2013 at 3:00 pm | Mohammad A Dar born in 1927, deserted Germany Army in 1945; was his life between 1927 and 1945 irrelevant? Ya, and what about his love life? celibacy was not a requirement in German Army. February 11, 2013 at 10:05 am | Doc Vestibule And lest we forget, Benedict managed to burn the inter-faith bridges that had slowly been building under the guidance of JPII within the first couple of years. He angered Muslims by saying that the contributions made by Muhammad were "only evil and inhuman".

He angered Jews by allowing wider use of the old, Tridentine liturgy, which includes a Good Friday plea that they be "delivered from their darkness" and also by lifing the excommunication of Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson. He angered native Latin Americans by claiming that the colonisation of their continent had not involved "the imposition of a foreign culture". February 11, 2013 at 9:07 am | Bootyfunk told people not to wear condoms because it's a sin, thereby causing the spread of HIV/AIDs around the world. February 11, 2013 at 1:18 pm | Doc Vestibule They missed how he is responsible for penning the 'Crimen Sollicitationis' in 1962, which outlined how the church is to handle accusations of se.xual impropriety against clergy. Thank to Cardinal Ratzinger, the doc.ument itself Top Secret for decades. It explictly stated that anybody involved in that type of investigation, including the accuser and potential witnesses, are sworn to secrecy regarding any and all details, upon penalty of excommunication (a fate worse than death for the devout).

This preoccupation with secrecy significantly slowed the investigative process – the backlog of referrals to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for action against se.xually abusive priests is so large that it takes 18 months to get a reply. February 11, 2013 at 9:00 am | just wondering So it will be at least 18 months until action can be initiated against you? February 11, 2013 at 9:06 am | -.- Fuck off, wondering. Assholes like you are the reason kids are getting raped. February 11, 2013 at 10:38 am | junior Say what you will. The Church that Jesus Christ left us is here to stay and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. February 11, 2013 at 11:02 am | -.- Too bad that same church does nothing to prevent the rape of innocents. Pass the buck, please.

February 11, 2013 at 11:42 am | I cannot think of a worse crime in any church than the molestation of innocents, except covering it up and enabling the behavior to continue. Shame on them. February 11, 2013 at 4:46 pm | .. just wondering, your mother breast fed you until you were 8, didn't she? February 12, 2013 at 2:37 am | Jerry Fallswell A good man prays a great man acts on prayer. It takes a man of courage and vision to realize his work has been completed to the best of his God given ability and be willing to allow another to take over. Well done good and faithful servant. February 11, 2013 at 9:00 am | derp How can his work be completed. There are still molestation cases to be covered up. February 11, 2013 at 3:01 pm | pattysboi Benny is NOT a "good and faithful servant". He is an accessory to the crime of molestation, and needs to be held accountable for what he did.

February 11, 2013 at 6:49 pm | I like the little wick (fuse?) he has on his head. I wonder if the Vatican gift shops have Pope Joey candles?. February 11, 2013 at 8:43 am | derp That looks kind of like a tampon string. February 11, 2013 at 2:55 pm | Obliterate the RCC today and avoid the rush! A whitewashed list of "facts" is worthless. Please don't bother doing this "news" thing if it makes you uncomfortable. February 11, 2013 at 8:34 am | -.- Yeah, too bad he didn't "crack down" on pedophilic priest with his church... February 11, 2013 at 8:59 am | Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things Pray without ceasing February 11, 2013 at 8:12 am | Jesus Prayer does not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything!

A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested. An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care. The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs! February 11, 2013 at 8:24 am | junior Prayer changes people too. I see too much hate and contempt on this blog from people quick to anger when they argue there is no God.

I have yet to see the fruit of their liberating efforts as they have no compassion for humanity. February 11, 2013 at 11:01 am | Pete " see too much hate and contempt on this blog from people quick to anger when they argue there is no God. I have yet to see the fruit of their liberating efforts as they have no compassion for humanity." More lies from the xtians – 191! February 11, 2013 at 12:47 pm | derp If prayer changes things, why doesn't Pope ratzenhitler just pray to be healthy enough to keep popeing. February 11, 2013 at 2:57 pm | derp "Prayer changes people too. I see too much hate and contempt on this blog from people quick to anger when they argue there is no God. I have yet to see the fruit of their liberating efforts as they have no compassion for humanity" Blow me.

From police officer's son to pope: The life of Benedict XVI - CNN.com From police officer's son to pope: The life of Benedict XVI By Greg Botelho, CNN Updated 11:07 AM ET, Tue February 12, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED Pope Benedict's German roots 02:50 Story highlights The son of a police officer, Joseph Ratzinger was born in southeastern Germany in 1927 He was briefly in the Hitler Youth and Nazi army, though he eventually deserted He was a theology professor who also rose up the Roman Catholic Church ranks Some called him "Cardinal No" for his strict enforcement of doctrine before becoming pope Before he was Pope Benedict XVI , before he earned the nickname "Cardinal No" as the enforcer of church doctrine, he was Joseph Ratzinger -- the son of Maria and police officer Joseph Ratzinger, learning about life and God in Germany between two world wars. According to Roman Catholic doctrine, Benedict is not only the church's leader but God's representative on earth and infallible.

He is also a man -- one who savors his meat and potatoes, an accomplished pianist who loves Mozart, and a teacher who for years commanded university classes. His humanity became apparent Monday, when the Vatican announced he'd resign at month's end "because of advanced age," becoming the first pope in nearly 600 years to do so. After his birth on April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, in southeastern Germany near the Austrian border, Ratzinger's early years were defined by his country and the turbulent times, as well as his faith. Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI Photos: Photos: Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI – Pope Benedict XVI waves in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican in December 2012. Benedict, 85, announced on Monday, February 11, that he will resign at the end of February "because of advanced age." The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415. Hide Caption MUST WATCH History of Popes stepping down 01:18 Adolf Hitler rose to power during Ratzinger's adolescent years in Traunstein, in the heavily Catholic region of Bavaria.

When he was 14, school officials followed Nazi officials' orders and enrolled him and the rest of his class in the Hitler Youth movement -- against his will, Ratzinger wrote in his memoir. He left the organization shortly thereafter, because he was studying for the priesthood. But in 1943, Ratzinger was brought back into the Nazi fold upon being drafted into the German army. For the next two years, Ratzinger served his country as part of an anti-aircraft unit. But in the waning days of World War II, he deserted -- and was taken prisoner by the U.S. Army. According to CNN Senior Vatican Analyst John Allen, Ratzinger's family was strongly, if quietly, anti-Nazi and his father took a series of less significant jobs to steer clear from what was happening under Hitler. In June 1945, Ratzinger was released from a POW camp. Hitching a ride on a milk truck, he headed home. And life began anew. Opinion: Why pope will be remembered for generations The soldier became a scholar, studying philosophy and theology at the University of Munich and another school in Freising between 1946 and 1951.

Two years later, he earned a doctorate in theology, after submitting a thesis titled, "The People and House of God in St. Augustine's Doctrine of the Church." Eventually, he became a professor -- teaching dogma and fundamental theology at four German universities. In 1969, for instance, he was appointed vice president and professor of theology at the University of Regensburg in Germany. "Books are his best friends," Allen said. All the while, he grew more ingrained in the Roman Catholic Church and its hierarchy. In 1962, 11 years after his ordination as a priest, the then-35-year-old was a consultant during Vatican II to Cardinal Josef Frings, a reformer who was archbishop of Cologne, Germany. As a young priest, Ratzinger was on the progressive side of theological debates. But he began to shift right after student revolutions of 1968, according to Allen, also a correspondent with the National Catholic Reporter . In fact, it was Ratzinger's conservative defense of strict doctrines that defined him in many people's eyes -- until he became pope.

A defender of church doctrine and a 'simple, humble worker' In the late 1970s and 1980s, Ratzinger shot up the church's ranks. In spring 1977, he was named archbishop of Munich and Freising. A few months later, Pope Paul VI appointed him cardinal. One of his most significant steps up came in 1981 when he took over as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican office that oversees "the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world," according to the Vatican. Ratzinger became known as "Cardinal No" stemming from his efforts to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests. Liberation theology combined Christian theology with political activism on issues like human rights and social justice. While partially compatible with Catholic social teachings, it was rejected by the Vatican, which objected to the mixing of church theology with Marxist ideas such as class struggle.

"It (was) his job to police the doctrinal boundaries of the Roman Catholic Church, and inevitably when you do that, there are going to be hurt feelings by people who find themselves on the wrong side of those lines," said Allen, the author of "Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith." Over subsequent years, he made news when, for instance, he labeled homosexuality "an intrinsic moral evil" and called the Soviet Union and its communist satellite nations "a shame of our time." In the 1990s, Ratzinger openly challenged a fellow German cardinal who had encouraged divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to return to the sacraments. Ratzinger also argued Muslim Turkey did not belong in Christian Europe and issued a document saying that Catholicism was the only true religion -- questioning the validity of other religions, even Christian ones, even as his Pope John Paul II was trying to reach out to other faiths. Although objections came from some of his fellow cardinals, the pope did not restrain Ratzinger, in part because their friendship went back four decades, to the time when the two were young priests at the Vatican II meetings in Rome.

The Pope's resignation explained That bond persevered until John Paul's death in 2005, by which time Ratzinger was dean of the College of Cardinals -- the high-level group that advises the pope and, when called upon, picks a new pontiff. In April 2005, they picked him, then 78 years old. Now called Benedict, his reputation was seen as more subdued than his predecessor. He traveled extensively, if not at John Paul's pace. His words carried special weight, as in 2006, when he quoted from 14th-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus saying the Muslim Prophet Mohammed had only brought into the world "things only evil and inhuman ." The remarks set off protests by Muslims worldwide, and Benedict apologized for any offense taken by Muslims. For some, the defining element of his papacy was the sex abuse scandal , with the church being accused of not doing enough to deal with reports of abuse by priests over decades, and on multiple continents.

Two years after acknowledging "shame" over the "evils" of abuse, Benedict issued a statement in 2010 saying the church had not been vigilant or fast enough in responding to the problem -- one of the most forthright admissions to date, though it still did not placate some who criticized then-Cardinal Ratzinger for not cracking down sufficiently. Such missives demonstrated his power, in the church and on the world stage. But for all the headlines he generated, Benedict -- as he did in his first blessing after being elected pope -- insisted he was merely "a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard." "I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools," he said then, "and I especially trust in your prayers." Pope Benedict XVI: A Champion Of Catholic Tradition : NPR Pope Benedict XVI, who announced his resignation Monday, was an ardent defender of Catholic tradition. For a quarter-century before he become the pontiff in 2005, he served as the chief enforcer of Catholic orthodoxy.

Vicenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Vicenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images Pope Benedict XVI, who announced his resignation Monday, was an ardent defender of Catholic tradition. For a quarter-century before he become the pontiff in 2005, he served as the chief enforcer of Catholic orthodoxy. Vicenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images On April 19, 2005, when wisps of white smoke puffed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, the Roman Catholic Church had its first German pope since the 11th century. Just one day before his election as Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger delivered a homily that, many analysts later said, became the platform of his papacy. He denounced modern trends he said were undermining Catholicism and Western civilization. "We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism, which does not recognize anything for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires," he said. At the end of February, his tenure will come to an end. The 85-year-old announced Monday that he will resign from his post, becoming the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years.

Nazism And The Catholic Church Born on April 16, 1927, in Bavaria, Germany, Ratzinger was the son of a police officer and a hotel cook. At 12, he entered a seminary, and in his early teens, at the height of World War II, he joined the Hitler Youth when membership was mandatory. Article continues after sponsorship Drafted in 1943, he served briefly in an anti-aircraft battalion. Near the end of the war, the 18-year-old deserted but was captured by U.S. soldiers and held for several months as a prisoner of war. Benedict rarely spoke publicly about his childhood during Nazism or of the Catholic Church's relations with the Third Reich. On his first foreign trip as pope — to his native Germany — he visited a synagogue and addressed what he called the often painful history of relations between Christians and Jews in Germany. "In the 20th century, in the darkest period of German and European history, an insane racist ideology, born of neopaganism, gave rise to the attempt, planned and systematically carried out by the regime, to exterminate European Jews," he said.

"The result has passed into history as the Shoah." Theological Watchdog Ordained a priest in 1951, Ratzinger began his career as an academic and, at the age of 35, he became a theological adviser to the second Vatican Council. Pope Benedict XVI prays in front of the coffin of his predecessor, John Paul II, at St. Peter's Basilica at the end of a beatification ceremony on May 1, 2011, in Vatican City. Pool/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Pool/Getty Images Pope Benedict XVI prays in front of the coffin of his predecessor, John Paul II, at St. Peter's Basilica at the end of a beatification ceremony on May 1, 2011, in Vatican City. Pool/Getty Images He was appointed archbishop of Munich in 1977. Four years later, Pope John Paul II summoned Ratzinger to Rome to become the Vatican's theological watchdog, a role he would play for a quarter-century.

One of his most controversial documents was "Dominus Jesus," which restated the primacy of the Catholic Church and branded non-Christian religions as "gravely deficient." Presenting the document at a Vatican news conference, Cardinal Ratzinger said the concept of interreligious dialogue promoted by the second Vatican Council had often been distorted into what he called an "ideology" of dialogue. "The principle of tolerance and respect for freedom promoted by the reforms of the second Vatican Council are today being manipulated and erroneously taken too far," he said. Although the axis of Catholicism had already shifted away from Europe to the developing world, Ratzinger made clear his central mission was reaffirming Europe's Catholic identity and shoring up the church's most traditional elements as the continent underwent strong secularization, low birth rates and the growing presence of Muslim immigrants. He singled out Italian Catholics, urging them to serve as a beacon for Europe's re-evangelization. "In so doing, the Italian Catholic Church will set a great example for Europe and the rest of the world, because treacherous secularism lurks everywhere and there is a universal need for faith that can deal with the challenges of our time," he said.

Tensions With The Islamic World One of those challenges was the growth of Islam in what had been the cradle of Christianity. Pope Benedict did not favor interfaith encounters with Muslims, convinced that Islam could not be put on an equal footing with Catholicism. His remarks on Islam and violence triggered Muslim fury worldwide. In September 2006, in a lecture on reason and faith at his old University at Regensburg, Benedict quoted a remark made by a 14th-century Byzantine emperor deriding Islam. "He said, and I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached,'" he said. Tensions with the Islamic world eased two months later when the pope visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque and prayed silently next to a Muslim cleric. But he never issued a formal apology. Relations With Jews Jewish-Catholic relations under Benedict were sometimes rocky as the pope strived to bring back into the fold ultraconservative Catholics who had split with the Vatican over the liberalizing reforms of the second Vatican Council.

More On Pope Benedict Text Of Pope Benedict XVI's Resignation Announcement Receiving a delegation of major American Jewish leaders, Benedict assured them of the Catholic Church's profound and irrevocable rejection of anti-Semitism. "The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah was a crime against God and against humanity," he said. "This should be clear to everyone, especially to those standing in the tradition of the holy scriptures. ... It is beyond question that any denial or minimization of this terrible crime is intolerable and altogether unacceptable." But he caused further anger — and not only among Jews — when he put the wartime Pope Pius XII — widely viewed as not having done enough to prevent the Holocaust — on the track to sainthood because of what Benedict called Pius' "heroic virtues." Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal One of Benedict's most successful and most emotional trips was to the United States in 2008, where he tackled the most painful issue for the American Catholic Church — clerical sex abuse — saying he was deeply ashamed.

"It is in the context of this hope born of God's love and fidelity that I acknowledge the pain which the church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors," he said. "No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse ... nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the church." As enforcer of Catholic dogma, Cardinal Ratzinger chastised dissident theologians, said no to female priests, no to married priests and no to gay marriage. He described homosexuality as an "objective disorder and an intrinsic moral evil." And as pope, Benedict firmly upheld the church bans against divorce, birth control, abortion and stem-cell research. In the eyes of liberal Catholics, Benedict XVI was a fierce opponent of modernizing reforms. But for conservative faithful, Benedict was the champion who restored the traditionalist core of Catholicism.

Pope Benedict XVI, horoscope for birth date 16 April 1927, born in Marktl, with Astrodatabank biography - Astro-Databank photo: Kancelaria Prezydenta RP, license gfdl Biography German-born ecclesiastic, a Roman Catholic who was elected Pope on April 19, 2005 at about 5:50 PM local time at the Vatican, taking the name of Benedict XVI. He greeted the public from the Papal balcony delivering his blessing in his first “Urbi et Orbi” speech at 6:48 PM local time according to the Vatican press office. The Pope has been a Cardinal since June 27, 1977. Before his ascension to the highest office in the Roman Catholic hierarchy, he was Dean of the College of Cardinals. The son of a police officer from a farming family in Lower Bavaria, Joseph Ratzinger was drafted into the auxiliary anti-aircraft service during World War II but deserted. He was subsequently imprisoned in an Allied POW camp until the end of the war. In 1946 he began studies in philosophy and theology at the University of Munich.

Ordained as a priest on June 29, 1951, he obtained his doctorate in theology in 1953. By 1957, he qualified as a university teacher and began teaching. By 1969, he had become a professor of dogmatic theology and of the history of dogma at the University of Regensburg. He held the administrative post of Vice President at the same institution. In March 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising, and on May 28, 1977 he was installed in that post. He was elevated to Cardinal one month later. In 1981 he became Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, where he earned the nickname “the Enforcer.” He was elected Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals on November 6, 1998. Four years later, on November 30, 2002, he became Dean. An academic, a writer, and a professor, he is an intellectual whose conservative views have stood him in good stead at the Vatican, and he became a primary advisor to Pope John Paul II.

As the health of Pope John Paul II deteriorated, many speculated that Cardinal Ratzinger would be named Pope when John Paul II died. The man who is now Benedict XVI is considered to be genuinely pious, intellectually brilliant, blunt, and passionate about the “truth,” a man who has the courage of his convictions. Despite his conservative and dogmatic views, he is described as being personally charming and quick-witted, a stimulating conversationalist, fluent in several languages. His experiences as a young man during World War II were critical in formulating his ideas about the role of the Church. After seeing the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis, he argues that the Church must present an alternative to the state and that the church must stand for absolute truths. He warns that the Church must not become a “plaything of outside forces.” In his role as Pope Benedict XVI, he is expected to continue hammering home his conservative views. Many cardinals with more liberal stances have felt the punitive sting of his ecclesiastic disdain. Church-watchers blame him for a Vatican degree issued during his predecessor’s reign that barred Catholic priests from counseling pregnant teens on any option other than to raise their children as good Catholics.

He is reportedly the person responsible for forbidding Catholics from sharing communion with Lutherans at a 2003 ecumenical convention. He has been openly critical of other religions, calling them “deficient” and sees homosexuality as an “intrinsic moral evil.” His fans say that his role as “guardian of orthodoxy” is the beacon of light in changing times. One supporter describes him as a “subtle thinker with a deep understanding of Catholic tradition and a personal touch he's not often given credit for.” Regardless of his personal charm, past accomplishments, doctrinal interpretation or intellectual brilliance, his job as Pope will be challenging. He will reign in a global and technical environment that is rapidly changing and in times that are divisive politically, culturally and religiously. He faces demands from many of his flock, ecclesiastics and lay people both, who want the Church to adapt to changing mores about reproductive rights and options, the place of women, gays, lesbians in the Church, the recruitment of clergy. And he follows in the shoes of a much-loved predecessor who may have shared Benedict’s doctrinal views but whose benefic demeanor and outreach efforts to other religions and cultures earned Pope John Paul II exalted status.

Pope Benedict inflamed many Muslims by comments made in a speech against religious violence delivered in Regensburg, Germany on September 12, 2006. In the talk, Benedict quoted a Christian Byzantine emperor who wrote "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." As the first pope in 800 years, and as the second only in church history, Benedict announced on 11 February 2012 that he would voluntarily step down from his position as pope, due to health reasons, on 28 February 2013, at 20:00 (8 pm). chart Placidus Equal_H. Source Notes Taeger Collection quotes birth certificate; Bordoni gives same information; Sy Scholfield quotes an article by Patricia Yollin and Suzanne Herel on 20 April 2005 in The San Francisco Chronicle PG A.12: "Joseph Ratzinger was born at 4:30 a.m.

on April 16, 1927, to parents named Mary and Joseph." Scholfield also quotes the Pope's brother's biography, Georg Ratzinger's "My Brother, the Pope" (Ignatius Press, 2012), p. 38: "Then came the day about which so much has been written, that April 16, 1927, when my brother Joseph was born. . . The future Pope Benedict XVI was born at 4:15 A.M., and his baptism followed that same morning at 8:30." Categories Pope Benedict XVI - Biography - IMDb Pope Benedict XVI Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Trade Mark (1) | Trivia (17) | Personal Quotes (36) Overview (4) 5' 7" (1.7 m) Mini Bio (1) Pope Benedict XVI was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany as Joseph Alois Ratzinger.

Trade Mark (1) Image as a shy, textbook introvert Trivia (17) Succeeded Pope John Paul II as Pope on 19 April 2005, with the name of Benedict XVI. Pope Paul VI made him Archbishop of Munich in 1977, and on 25 November 1981, Pope John Paul II brought him to Rome as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - formerly known as the Holy Office and before that as the Holy Inquisition. Presided over the state funeral of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on 8 April 2005. At 78, he was the oldest person to have been elected pope since Clement XII in 1730. Born on Holy Saturday, 1927, and baptized later that evening at an Easter Vigil mass. Fluent in ten languages. Ordained into the priesthood on 29 June 1951. Over 600 works written by him have been published. Plays the piano and has a preference for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven .

Third and youngest child of Joseph Ratzinger, Sr., a police officer and Maria Ratzinger, née Peintner. His sister Maria (1921-1991) managed his household until her death, his brother Georg (born in 1924) is also priest. Is the very first Pope to have given full-length radio and television interviews. Of all the Popes that have reigned over several centuries, Pope Benedict is only the second to have been German-born, the first being Victor II (1055-1057). First Pope to celebrate Mass in Manhattan's famous St. Patrick's Cathedral and the first to visit an American synagogue. The Pope's visit to the U.S. (April 15-20, 2008) was his sixth such trip and his first as Pontiff. During his three-day stay in New York (April 18-20, 2008), the Pontiff resided at 20 East 72nd Street (between Fifth & Madison Avenues). He was a guest of the Vatican's representative to the United Nations, Archbishop Celestino Migliore.

Has his look-alike puppet in the French show Les guignols de l'info (1988). Has said he still has the stuffed animals his mother made for him when he was a child. Announced his retirement as Pope due to poor health, the first to do so in 600 years [11 February 2013]. Personal Quotes (36) Only from the saints, only from God does true revolution come, the definitive way to change the world. I am near the Pope and now he helps me to be near the Lord and I try to enter this atmosphere of prayer, of love for our Lord, for Our Lady and I entrust myself to his prayers. So there is a permanent dialogue and we're close to each other in a new way, in a very deep way. (on if he continues to feel the presence of John Paul II, interview to the Polish television, aired on October 16, 2005) "The faithful expect only one thing from priests: that they be specialists in promoting the encounter between man and God. The priest is not asked to be an expert in economics, construction or politics.

He is expected to be an expert in the spiritual life." (Meeting with the Clergy in the Cathedral of St. John in Warsaw, Poland, May 25, 2006) People in Africa and Asia admire, indeed, the scientific and technical prowess of the West, but they are frightened by a form of rationality which totally excludes God from man's vision, as if this were the highest form of reason, and one to be taught to their cultures too. They do not see the real threat to their identity in the Christian faith, but in the contempt for God and the cynicism that considers mockery of the sacred to be an exercise of freedom and that holds up utility as the supreme criterion for the future of scientific research. Dear friends, this cynicism is not the kind of tolerance and cultural openness that the world's peoples are looking for and that all of us want! The tolerance which we urgently need includes the fear of God - respect for what others hold sacred. This respect for what others hold sacred demands that we ourselves learn once more the fear of God. But this sense of respect can be reborn in the Western world only if faith in God is reborn, if God become once more present to us and in us.

"There were not sufficient reasons to unleash a war against Iraq. To say nothing of the fact that, given the new weapons that make possible destructions that go beyond the combatant groups, today we should be asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a 'just war'." (2 May 2003) "Circumstances and situations and even people influence you because you take on different responsibilities. Let's say that my basic personality and even my basic vision have grown, but in everything that is essential I have remained identical. I'm happy that certain aspects that weren't noticed at first are now coming into the open" (On if he has changed after being elected, interview with Bayerische Rundfunk, ZDF, Deutsche Welle and Vatican Radio, Castelgandolfo,August 5,2006) "I'm not a man who constantly thinks up jokes. But I think it's very important to be able to see the funny side of life and its joyful dimension and not to take everything too tragically. I'd also say it's necessary for my ministry. A writer once said that angels can fly because they don't take themselves too seriously.

Maybe we could also fly a bit if we didn't think we were so important." (On what role humour plays in the life of a Pope, interview with Bayerische Rundfunk, ZDF, Deutsche Welle and Vatican Radio, Castelgandolfo,August 5,2006) "Progress becomes true progress only if it serves the human person and if the human person grows: not only in terms of his or her technical power, but also in his or her moral awareness." (Interview with Bayerische Rundfunk, ZDF, Deutsche Welle and Vatican Radio, Castelgandolfo,August 5,2006) "My idea is that really the springtime of the Church will not say that we will have in a near time buses of conversions, that all peoples of the world will be converted to Catholicism. This is not the way of God. The essential things in history begin always with the small, more convinced communities." (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger interview, aired on 5 September 2003) "We are today, not another Church as of 500 years ago. It's always the same Church.

It was at one time holy, for the Church is always holy, for the Church it is not in another time an impossible thing." (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger interview, aired on 5 September 2003) "Our situation generally, I think the situation of the Western World, is an increasing of relativism, the idea all is equal and we do not know anything clear about God; and so, all faiths are equal and so on. This is a general impression in the world of today and this also is temptation for us as Christians. But, I think on the other hand, in many people there is a real desire to have concrete contact with Christ, with the presence of Our Lord. So, I would say the youth of the Church is improving the situation because they will not simply do what all people are doing; so really be in contact with the Lord and sharing the faith of the Church.

So, I would say, generally the situation of the Western World is not improving about the faith, but in the Church, the youth of the Church, we can see that there is a new beginning." (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger interview, aired on 5 September 2003) "If the faith is not everyday realized, if the faith is weakened and begins only to be an hypothesis, so it's not a fundamental of your life and so begins all these problems." (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger interview, aired on 5 September 2003) "To tell the truth I'm not that lonely. Of course there are, you may say, the walls that make it more difficult to get in, but there's also a "pontifical family, lots of visitors every day, especially when I'm in Rome. The Bishops come and other people, there are State visits. There are also personalities who want to talk to me personally, and not just about political issues.

In this sense there are all kinds of encounters that, thank God, I have continually." (On living in Vatican City, interview with Bayerische Rundfunk, ZDF, Deutsche Welle and Vatican Radio, Castelgandolfo,August 5,2006) "The Resurrection of Christ is central to Christianity. It is a fundamental truth to be reasserted vigorously in every epoch, since to deny it, as has been, and continues to be attempted, or to transform it into a purely spiritual event, is to thwart our very faith." (Reflections before the recital of Regina Caeli, Saint Peter's Square, April 30, 2006) "I believe that this civilisation, with all its dangers and hopes, can only be tamed and led back to greatness if it recognizes again the sources of its power." (From the interview, given to Eberhard von Gemmingen, a confidant and head of Vatican Radio's German service, the very first interview as pontiff and the very first full- length interview given by any Pope ever) There are lots of useful places in the church for women. Not everyone needs to be a priest.

Being a priest is not the only great thing to do for the the church. We can find so many nice and valuable services for women. The problem in 3rd world countries like Africa is that technological progress is moving much faster than education in the "heart" matters. Without proper spiritual education we just get AIDS and war. We need a second dimensional in education beyond pure technology. "Life, which is a work of God, should not be denied to anyone, even the tiniest and most defenceless unborn child, and far less to a child with serious disabilities." (Reflections before the recital of Angelus Domini, St Peter's Square, Vatican, Sunday, 4 February 2007) Those who believe are never alone - neither in life nor in death. "I apologize for being late. Germans are known for their punctuality, and this is a sign that I have become quite Italianized." (Meeting with the German pilgrims, Vatican City, April 25, 2005) "When, little by little, the trend of the voting led me to understand that, to say it simply, the axe was going to fall on me, my head began to spin.

I was convinced that I had already carried out my life's work and could look forward to ending my days peacefully. With profound conviction I said to the Lord: Do not do this to me! You have younger and better people at your disposal, who can face this great responsibility with greater dynamism and greater strength." (On the conclave) "Remember me in your prayers and sacrifices, even as you remembered my great Predecessor, so that I can carry out the mission Christ has given me." (Words originally spoken in Polish, Holy Mass in Blonie-Park, Kraków, Poland, May 28, 2006) "I came to Germany, to Bavaria, to bring once more to my fellow-citizens the eternal truths of the Gospel as a truth and power for today, and to confirm believers in their fidelity to Christ, the Son of God, who became man for our salvation.

I am convinced, in faith, that in Christ, in his word, we find the way not only to eternal happiness, but also to the building of a humane future even now, on this our land." (Farewell address at the end of the journey to Germany, International Airport Franz Joseph Strauss, Munich, September 14, 2006) The Church says life is beautiful, it is not something to doubt but it is a gift even when it is lived in difficult circumstances. It is always a gift. (Press conference during the flight to Brazil, May 9, 2007) Under Church law, someone who knowingly does or backs something which the Church considers a grave sin, such as abortion, inflicts what is known as "automatic excommunication" on themselves. (Press conference during the flight to Brazil, May 9, 2007) The Church as such is not involved in politics - we respect secularism but offers the conditions in which a healthy political system can develop, together with the consequent solution for social problems.

(Press conference during the flight to Brazil, May 9, 2007) In every corner of the earth there are very many people who do not want to listen to what the Church says. We hope that at least they hear her; then they can also disagree, but it is important that at least they hear her in order to respond. Let us also try to convince those who disagree with her and do not want to listen. Moreover, we cannot forget that Our Lord did not manage to make everyone listen to him, either. We do not expect to convince everyone all at once. (Press conference during the flight to Brazil, May 9, 2007) Christ did not promise an easy life. Those who desire comforts have dialed the wrong number.(Meeting with the German pilgrims, Vatican City, April 25, 2005) It is not true that young people think only of consumerism and pleasure. It is not true that they are materialistic and self-centered. Just the opposite is true: young people want great things. They want an end to injustice. They want inequalities to be overcome and all peoples to have their share in the earth's goods. They want freedom for the oppressed.

They want great things, good things(Meeting with the German pilgrims, Vatican City, April 25, 2005) War, with its aftermath of bereavement and destruction, has always been deemed a disaster in opposition to the plan of God, who created all things for existence and particularly wants to make the human race one family. (Reflections before the recital of Angelus Domini, Lorenzago di Cadore, Belluno, Italy, July 22, 2007) I see that the Church is a large family. Wherever the Pope goes the family meets with great joy. For me this is a sign of lively faith, of communion and of the peace that faith creates. (Welcome speech during the visit to the shrine of the Holy Face in Manopello, Pescara, Italy, September 1, 2006) In the magnificent mathematics of creation which today we can read in the human genetic code, we do recognize the language of God. The functional truth about man has been discovered. I ask myself the same question. We don't have the answers, but we know that Jesus suffered as innocent children suffer.

[Upon being asked a question from a seven-year-old Japanese girl who was caught up in the 2010 tsunami about why so many children had to suffer in natural calamities.] It is when we attempt to avoid suffering by withdrawing from anything that might involve hurt, when we try to spare ourselves the effort and pain of pursuing truth, love, and goodness, that we drift into a life of emptiness, in which there may be almost no pain, but the dark sensation of meaninglessness and abandonment is all the greater. Purity of heart is what enables us to see. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each of us is loved. Each of us is necessary. See also

Question: What was the country of birth of Pope Benedict XVI?
Answer: Germany