View source for Pope Benedict XVI

{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = His Holiness <br> [[Pope]]
| name = Benedict XVI
| image = Benedykt XVI (2010-10-17) 2.jpg
| caption = Benedict XVI in 2010
| term_start = 19 April 2005
| term_end = 28 February 2013
| predecessor = [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]]
| successor = [[Pope Francis|Francis]]
| ordination = 29 June 1951
| ordained_by = [[Michael von Faulhaber]]
| consecration = 28 May 1977
| consecrated_by = [[Josef Stangl]]
| cardinal = 27 June 1977
| created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Paul VI]]
| birth_name = Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger
| birth_date = {{birth date|1927|4|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Marktl]], [[Weimar Republic|Germany]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|12|31|1927|04|19|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Mater Ecclesiae|Mater Ecclesiae Monastery]], [[Vatican City]]
| parents = Joseph Ratzinger, Sr. and Maria Ratzinger (née Peintner)
| residence = [[Mater Ecclesiae|Mater Ecclesiae Monastery]]
| nationality = German (with Vatican citizenship)
| previous_post = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising|Archbishop of Munich and Freising]] {{small|(1977–1982)}}<br/>Cardinal-Priest of [[Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino]] {{small|(1977–1993)}}<br/>President of the [[International Theological Commission]] {{small|(1981–2005)}}<br/>Prefect of the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] {{small|(1981–2005)}}<br/>President of the [[Pontifical Biblical Commission]] {{small|(1981–2005)}}<br/>Cardinal-Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of Velletri-Segni|Velletri-Segni]] {{small|(1993–2005)}}<br/>[[Dean of the College of Cardinals]] {{small|(2002–2005)}}<br/>[[Bishop of Ostia|Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia]] {{small|(2002–2005)}}
| motto = ''Cooperatores veritatis'' (cooperators of the truth)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/biography/documents/hf_ben-xvi_bio_20050419_short-biography_en.html |title=Biography of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI |publisher=Vatican.va |accessdate=29 January 2014}}</ref>
| signature = Pope Benedict XVI Signature.svg
| coat_of_arms = Coat of Arms of Benedictus XVI.svg
| other = Benedict
| buried = [[St. Peter's Basilica]], <br/> [[Vatican City]]
}}
'''Pope Benedict XVI''' ({{lang-la|Benedictus PP. XVI}}; {{lang-de|Benedikt XVI}}; {{lang-it|Benedetto XVI}}, born '''Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger'''; 16 April 1927 {{ndash}} 31 December 2022) was a [[Pope]] of the [[Catholic Church]]. He served as the 265th Pope from 2005 to 2013. In that position, he was both the leader of the Catholic Church and ruler of the [[Vatican City State]]. Benedict was elected on 19 April 2005 in a [[papal conclave, 2005|papal conclave]] after the death of [[Pope John Paul II]]. He celebrated his [[papal inauguration]] [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] on 24 April 2005. He took possession of his cathedral, the [[Archbasilica of St. John Lateran]], on 7 May 2005.

On 11 February 2013, Benedict announced his [[resignation]] in a speech in Latin before the [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinals]]. His reason was a "lack of strength of mind and body" because of his old age. [[Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI|His resignation]] became effective on 28 February 2013. He was the first pope to resign since [[Pope Gregory XII]] in 1415. He was the first to resign by choice since [[Pope Celestine V]] in 1294. As Pope Emeritus, Benedict retains the [[Style (form of address)|style]] of ''[[His Holiness]]'', and the title of ''Pope''. He will continue to dress in the papal colour of white. He was succeeded by [[Pope Francis]] on 13 March 2013. He moved into the newly renovated ''[[Mater Ecclesiae]]'' monastery for his retirement on 2 May 2013. In September 2020, Benedict XVI became the longest-lived pope at aged 93.<ref>{{cite web |title=Benedicto XVI es ya el papa más anciano de toda la historia |url=https://www.msn.com/es-mx/news/other/benedicto-xvi-es-ya-el-papa-m%C3%A1s-anciano-de-toda-la-historia/ar-BB18IsG8?ocid=msedgdhp |website=www.msn.com |publisher=DW News |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |language=es}}</ref>

==Priest==
Ratzinger was [[Consecration|ordained]] as a Catholic priest in 1951.<ref>Ratzinger, George; Michael Hesseman; Michael J. Miller My Brother, the Pope 2011 Ingatius Press San Francisco page 160</ref>  He was a professor at several German universities, including the [[University of Bonn]]<ref>Kung, Hans Disputed Truth: Memoirs II Continuum International Publishing Group New York New York 2007 page 11</ref> and the University of [[Münster]].<ref>Streissguth, Thomas Pope Benedict XVI Lerner Publishing Group Minneapolis Minnesota 2007</ref>  He also taught at the [[University of Tübingen]].<ref>Bernstein, Richard ''et al.'' [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/international/worldspecial2/24ratzinger.html?scp=15&sq=tubingen&st=cse  "Turbulence on Campus in 60's Hardened Views of Future Pope,"] ''New York Times.'' April 24, 2005; retrieved 2011-10-26.</ref> and the [[University of Regensburg]].<ref name="Seewald, Peter page 185">Seewald, Peter; Brian McNeil Pope Benedict XVI: Servant of the Truth Ignatius Press San Francisco 2006 page 185</ref>

==Cardinal==
In 1977, Ratzinger was named by [[Pope Paul VI]] as a [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]] and the [[Archbishop]] of [[Munich]] and [[Freising]].<ref name="Seewald, Peter page 185"/>

Cardinal Ratzinger was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.<ref>Heim, Maximillian Heinrich; Michael J. Miller Joseph Ratzinger: Life in the Church and Living Theology: Fundamentals of Ecclesiology with Reference to Lumen Gentium Ignatius Press San Francisco 2007 page 211</ref>
He became Dean of the College of Cardinals.<ref>Pope Benedict XVI; Jurgen Habermas Dialectics of Secularization: On Reason and Religion  Ignatius Press San Francisco 2006  page 82</ref> He was a close friend of [[Pope John Paul II]].

In January 2022 a report written by a German law firm found that Benedict XVI had failed to act over four cases of child abuse when he was in charge as Archbishop of Munich.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=2022-01-20|title=Former Pope Benedict failed to act over abuse, new report finds|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60070132|access-date=2022-01-20}}</ref> He has denied these reports.<ref name=":1" />

==Pope==
In 2005, Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope at the age of 78. At the [[Papal conclave|conclave]], "it was, if not Ratzinger, who?  And as they came to know him, the question became, why not Ratzinger?"<ref name="goodstein">Goodstein, Laurie and Elisabetta Povoledo. [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/world/europe/among-cardinals-deep-divisions-over-next-pope.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0   "Before Smoke Rises at Vatican, It's Romans vs. the Reformers,"] ''New York Times.'' March 11, 2013; Ivereigh, Austen. [http://www.osvdailytake.com/2013/03/ivereigh-in-rome-does-cardinal.html  "Does cardinal confusion spell a long conclave?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316114559/http://www.osvdailytake.com/2013/03/ivereigh-in-rome-does-cardinal.html |date=2013-03-16 }} ''Our Sunday Visitor''. 11 March
By Austen Ivereigh; excerpt, "A former communications director to the Archbishop emeritus of Westminster (England), Cardinal [[Cormac Murphy-O'Connor]], he accompanied the cardinal to Rome in 2005 for the funeral of Pope John Paul II and election of Pope Benedict XVI"; retrieved 2013-3-12.</ref>  He chose to be called Benedict XVI.<ref>Collins, Michael The Vatican: Secrets and Treasures of the Holy City DK New York 2011 page 78</ref><ref>Note on [[ordinal number]]ing: [[Pope Benedict (disambiguation)|Popes Benedict]] XI–XVI are really the 10th–15th popes with that name.  This is because Benedict X is now [[wikt:parse|parsed]] as an [[antipope]]; but during the reign of Benedict XI, this was not recognized. The "true" or actual fifteenth pope Benedict identifies himself with the ordinal number XVI.  In other words, the numbering of popes after the 10th Benedict needs to be explained -- compare [[Pope Boniface (disambiguation)|Popes Boniface]] VIII–IX.</ref>

On 11 February 2013, the pope announced that he would [[abdication|abdicate]] or [[resignation|resign]] on 28 February 2013: "I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry."<ref name="renounce">Benedict XVI, [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2013/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20130211_declaratio_en.html "''Declaratio''" (Declaration) at Vatican.va,] 11 February 2012; retrieved 2012-2-11.</ref> The original declaration was made in [[Latin language|Latin]].<ref name="renounce_la">{{cite web|url=http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2013/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20130211_declaratio_lt.html|title=Original declaration in Latin, Holy See}}</ref> He is the first pope to resign since [[Pope Gregory XII]] in 1415.<ref name="resignCNN">{{cite web | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/11/world/europe/pope-benedict-resignation/?hpt=hp_t1 | title=Pope Benedict to resign at the end of the month, Vatican says | publisher=CNN | date=February 11, 2013 | accessdate=February 11, 2013 | author=Messia, Hada}}</ref> He decided to resign then retired on February 28, 2013 in order to take care of his health condition.

== Death ==
On 28 December 2022, Pope Francis said that Benedict was "very sick".<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 December 2022 |title=Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI 'very sick', says Pope Francis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/28/pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-very-sick-says-pope-francis |access-date=28 December 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> Benedict died on 31 December 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 December 2022 |title=Former Pope Benedict XVI dies at 95 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64107731 |access-date=31 December 2022 |website=BBC |language=en}}</ref> His [[Death and funeral of Pope Benedict XVI|funeral]] was held on 5 January 2023.

==Selected works==
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Joseph Ratzinger, [[OCLC]]/[[WorldCat]] includes roughly 360+ works in 520+ publications in 20 languages as well as library holdings.<ref>[http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/identities/default.htm  WorldCat Identities], [http://www.worldcat.org/identities/np-ratzinger,%20joseph  Ratzinger, Joseph ]</ref>
* ''Introduction to Christianity'' (1968)<ref>Pope Benedict XVI Introduction to Christianity Ignatius Press San Francisco 2004</ref>
* ''Einführung in das Christentum: Vorlesungen über das Apostolische Glaubensbekenntnis'' (1968)
* ''Das neue Volk Gottes: Entwürfe zur Ekklesiologie'' (1969)
* ''Der Gott Jesu Christi: Betrachtungen über den Dreieinigen Gott'' (1976)
* ''Eschatologie : Tod und ewiges Leben'' (1977)
* ''Principles of Catholic theology: building stones for a fundamental theology'' (1985)
* ''Politik und Erlösung: zum Verhältnis von Glaube, Rationalität und Irrationalem in der sogenannten Theologie der Befreiung'' (1986)

As Pope, OCLC/WorldCat identifies 1,400+ works in 2,300+ publications in 33 languages and 55,000+ library holdings.<ref>WorldCat Identities, [http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79-106175  Benedict XVI Pope 1927- ]</ref>
* ''Jesus of Nazareth: from the baptism in the Jordan to the transfiguration'' (2007)<ref>Pope Benedict XVI Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration Volume 1 Doubleday a division of Random House, Inc New York 2007</ref>
* ''Without roots: the West, relativism, Christianity, Islam'' (2006)<ref>Pope Benedict XVI Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam Basic Books 2006</ref>

==Related pages==
* [[Abdication]]
* [[Georg Ratzinger]] (brother)

==References==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Benedictus XVI.svg|thumb|120px|right|The Coat of Arms of Benedict XVI]]
{{reflist|2}}

== Other websites ==
{{commons category-inline|Benedictus XVI}}
* [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/index.htm  Vatican webpage], [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/biography/documents/hf_ben-xvi_bio_20050419_short-biography_en.html  Benedict XVI biography]
* [http://ratzingerhats.com/ Pope Benedict XVI Hats] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202134856/http://ratzingerhats.com/ |date=2011-02-02 }}
* [http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/cardinals.htm  Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030210828/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/cardinals.htm |date=2011-10-30 }}, [http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-r.htm#Ratzinger Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger]

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{{s-bef | before=[[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[List of popes|Pope]] | years=2005&ndash;2013}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Pope Francis|Francis]]}}
{{end}}

{{Popes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict XVI, Pope}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:German popes]]
[[Category:Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:People from Bavaria]]
[[Category:Deans of the College of Cardinals]]
[[Category:21st century in religion]]