Benedict XVI

Name Joseph Alois Ratzinger Papacy began April 19, 2005 Papacy ended Incumbent Predecessor John Paul II Successor Incumbent Born April 16, 1927 Place of birth Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany

Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI; born April 16, 1927 as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. He was elected on April 19, 2005, in a papal conclave over which he presided in his capacity as dean of the College of Cardinals. He celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on April 24, 2005 and was enthroned in the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano on May 7, 2005. Image File history File links Pope Benedict XVI assumes the throne for the first time upon election on April 19, 2005 after Pope John Paul IIs death. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Marktl am Inn Marktl am Inn (Little Market on the Inn River), or simply Marktl, is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. ... With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... Ecclesiastical Latin, sometimes called Church Latin, is the Latin language as used in documents of the Roman Catholic Church and in the Latin liturgies of the Catholic Church. ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Marktl am Inn Marktl am Inn (Little Market on the Inn River), or simply Marktl, is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. ... With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Catholic Church. ... The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian body in the world. ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state, whose titles and ascent are often inherited, not earned, and who represents a larger monarchical system which has established rules and customs regarding succession, duties, and powers. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Papal conclave of 2005 began on April 18, 2005 and ended the next day after four ballots. ... The Dean of the College of Cardinals is the president of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church and as such is always a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church of the episcopal order. ... The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) is crowned at the last papal coronation to date, in 1963. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The late Baroque façade of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano was completed by Alessandro Galilei in 1735 after winning a competition for the design. ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

One of the most influential academic theologians since the 1960s and author of many books, he is viewed as conservative and a close ally of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. He served as professor at various German universities, Archbishop of Munich, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Dean of the College of Cardinals before becoming Pope. Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop heading a diocese of particular importance due to either its size, history, or both, called an archdiocese. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München (pronounced listen) is the state capital of the German state of Bavaria. ... A prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeferre, to bring in front, i. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... The Dean of the College of Cardinals is the president of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church and as such is always a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church of the episcopal order. ...

The Pope particularly emphasizes what he sees as the need for Europe to turn back to its fundamental values, facing increasing de-christianisation in many developed countries, where secular humanism, secularism, secularization and freethought generally are increasing in influence. Secular humanism is that branch of philosophy that advocates the use of reason, compassion, scientific inquiry, ethics, justice and equality in addressing issues of a worldview centred upon human beings. ... // Definition Secularism means: in philosophy, the belief that life can be best lived by applying ethics, and the universe best understood, by processes of reasoning, without reference to a god or gods or other supernatural concepts. ... Secularization, as understood by sociologists of religion, is a varied term with multiple definitions and levels of meaning. ... Freethought is the idea and practice of forming ones opinions independent of tradition, authority and established belief. ...

Overview

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI was elected pope at the age of 78. He is the oldest person to have been elected pope since Clement XII in 1730. He served longer as a cardinal before being elected pope than any pope since Benedict XIII (elected 1724). He is the 9th German pope, the last being the Dutch-German Adrian VI (1522–1523). The last Pope Benedict, Benedict XV, was an Italian who served as pope from 1914 to 1922 and reigned during World War I. Benedict XVI waves to a crowd. ... Benedict XVI waves to a crowd. ... The Sistine Chapel is the location of the conclave. ... Since 1500 Youngest Popes The data to determine the age and dates of birth of the youngest Popes is frequently unavailable, as Popes have generally been elected at older ages in modern times. ... Clement XII, born as Lorenzo Corsini (Florence, April 7, 1652 – Rome, February 6, 1740), (pope 1730-1740), had been an aristocratic lawyer and financial manager under preceding pontiffs. ... Events Pope Clement XII elected September 17 - Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Ahmed III (1703-1730) to Mahmud I (1730-1754) Anna Ivanova (Anna I of Russia) became czarina Births May 13 - Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and appointed by him as a member of the College of Cardinals during a consistory. ... For Pedro de Luna, see Antipope Benedict XIII. Benedict XIII, né Pietro Francesco Orsini, later Vincenzo Maria Orsini (Gravina di Puglia, February 2, 1649 - March 2, 1730), was pope from 1724 to 1730. ... Events January 14 - King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne February 20 - The premiere of Giulio Cesare, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, takes place in London June 23 - Treaty of Constantinople signed. ... The house where Adrian VI was born Adrian VI (also known as Hadrian VI or Adriano VI), born Adrian dEdel (March 2, 1459 - September 14, 1523), pope from 1522 to 1523, was born in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and studied under the Brethren of the Common Life either at Zwolle... Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ... Events April - Battle of Villalar - Forces loyal to Emperor Charles V defeat the Comuneros, a league of urban bourgeois rebelling against Charles in Spain. ... Pope Benedict XV, born Giacomo della Chiesa (November 21, 1854 – January 22, 1922), reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from September 3, 1914 to 1922; he succeeded Pope Saint Pius X. // Early life Arms of Benedict XV Della Chiesa was born in Genoa... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ...

Ratzinger was born in Bavaria, Germany. He had a distinguished career as a university theologian before being made the archbishop of Munich; he was subsequently made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in the consistory of June 27, 1977. He was appointed as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II in 1981 and was made the cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian diocese of Velletri-Segni on April 5, 1993. In 1998, he was made the sub-dean of the College of Cardinals; later, on November 30, 2002, he became the dean and simultaneously the cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian diocese of Ostia. He was the first dean of the college elected pope since Paul IV in 1555 and the first cardinal bishop elected pope since Pius VIII in 1829. With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop heading a diocese of particular importance due to either its size, history, or both, called an archdiocese. ... The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising — known in the German language as Erzbistum München und Freising and in Latin as Archidioecesis Monacensis et Frisingensis — is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria, Germany. ... His Holiness Pope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... Antiquity Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply sitting together, just as the Greek syn(h)edrion (from which the biblical sanhedrin was a corruption). ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cardinal Bishops, or Cardinals of the Episcopal Order, are among the most important persons in the Roman Catholic Church. ... The seven suburbicarian dioceses are Roman Catholic dioceses located in the suburbs that surround Rome. ... Velletri (ancient Velitrae) is a commune in the province of Rome, in Lazio (Latium) It is bounded by other communes of Rocca di Papa Lariano, Cisterna di Latina, Artena, Aprilia, Nemi, Genzano di Roma, Lanuvio. ... Segni, in the Latin language called Signinsis, is an Italian city located in the Province of Rome. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Temple of the goddess Roma on the Forum of Ostia Ostia, an ancient town on the coast facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, in Latium, Italy, was the harbour of ancient Rome and perhaps its first colonia. ... Paul IV, né Giovanni Pietro Carafa (June 28, 1476 - August 18, 1559) was Pope from May 23, 1555 until his death. ... Events Russia breaks 60 year old truce with Sweden by attacking Finland May 23 - Paul IV becomes Pope. ... Pope Pius VIII, born Francesco Saverio Castiglioni (November 20, 1761 - December 1, 1830), was Pope from 1829 to 1830. ... 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Before becoming pope, Cardinal Ratzinger was already one of the most influential men in the Vatican, and was a close associate of the late John Paul II. He presided over the funeral of John Paul II and also over the Mass immediately preceding the 2005 conclave in which he was elected, in which he called on the assembled cardinals to hold fast to the doctrine of the faith. He was the public face of the church in much of the sede vacante period, although he ranked below the camerlengo in administrative authority during that time. Pope John Paul IIs body laid on a bier at St. ... Sede vacante in the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church is the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church. ... The title Camerlengo (Italian for Chamberlain) refers to an official of the Papal court, referring either to the Chamberlain of the Roman Catholic Church, to the Chamberlain of the Sacred College of Cardinals, or to various lesser dignitaries. ...

Benedict XVI's views appear to be similar to those of his predecessor in maintaining the traditional Catholic doctrines on artificial birth control, abortion, and homosexuality while promoting Catholic social teaching. Birth control is a regimen of one or more extra actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelyhood of a woman becoming pregnant. ... Since its coining, the term homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Catholic Social Teaching encompasses the teaching that has been prevalent in the Catholic Church on all matters dealing with the collective aspect of humanity, since the mid-19th century. ...

Benedict speaks several languages, including German, Italian and French fluently, as well as, though less proficient, English, Spanish and Latin. He can read ancient Greek and classical Hebrew. He is a member of a large number of academies, such as the French Académie des sciences morales et politiques. He plays the piano and has a preference for Mozart and Beethoven. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by 6 million people mainly in Israel, parts of the Palestinian territories, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... The Académie des sciences morales et politiques (i. ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ... W. A. Mozart, 1790 portrait by Johann Georg Edlinger Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) is among the most popular, significant and influential composers of European classical music. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770; died March 26, 1827) was a German composer of classical music, who predominantly lived in Vienna, Austria. ...

Early life (1927–1951)

Main article: Early life of Pope Benedict XVI

This article covers the early life (1927 - 1951) of Pope Benedict XVI (born Joseph Ratzinger). ...

Background and childhood (1927–1943)

Ratzinger was born at a house in Marktl am Inn which survives today.

Ratzinger as a boy

Ratzinger studied at Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein, Germany.

Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born on Holy Saturday, at Schulstrasse 11, his parents' home in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria. He was the third and youngest child of Joseph Ratzinger, Sr., a police officer, and his wife, Maria Ratzinger (nee Peintner), who worked as a barmaid, and whose family were from South Tyrol (today part of Italy). His father served in both the Bavarian State Police (Landespolizei) and the German national Regular Police (Ordnungspolizei) before retiring in 1937 to the town of Traunstein. The Sunday Times of London described the elder Ratzinger as "an anti-Nazi whose attempts to rein in Hitler's Sturmabteilung forced the family to move several times." ^[1]. According to the International Herald Tribune, these relocations were directly related to Joseph Ratzinger, Sr.'s continued resistance to Nazism, which resulted in demotions and transfers. ^[2] The pope's brother Georg said: "Our father was a bitter enemy of Nazism because he believed it was in conflict with our faith." ^[3]. Download high resolution version (1417x1063, 903 KB) Pope Benedicts house where he was born In Martl am Inn File links The following pages link to this file: Pope Benedict XVI Early life of Pope Benedict XVI ... Download high resolution version (1417x1063, 903 KB) Pope Benedicts house where he was born In Martl am Inn File links The following pages link to this file: Pope Benedict XVI Early life of Pope Benedict XVI ... Image File history File links Pope Benedict File links The following pages link to this file: Pope Benedict XVI Early life of Pope Benedict XVI ... Image File history File links Pope Benedict File links The following pages link to this file: Pope Benedict XVI Early life of Pope Benedict XVI ... Photo by Kerstin Joensson of Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein, Germany where Pope Benedict XVI attended school. ... Photo by Kerstin Joensson of Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein, Germany where Pope Benedict XVI attended school. ... Holy Saturday is the day before Easter in the Christian calendar. ... Marktl am Inn Marktl am Inn (Little Market on the Inn River), or simply Marktl, is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. ... With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... Joseph Ratzinger, Sr. ... South Tyrol (German Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, Italian Provincia autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige, Ladin Provinzia autonóma de Bulsan-Südtirol) is an autonomous province of Italy. ... Landespolizei is a term used in the Federal Republic of Germany to denote the law enforcement services which patrol the German Bundesländer and is the approximite equivalent to the State police in the United States of America. ... Flag of the Ordnungspolizei The Ordnungspolizei was the name for the regular German police force that existed in Nazi Germany between the years of 1936 and 1945. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Traunstein is a town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany and is the administrative center of a district by the same name. ... The Sunday Times is the name of several Sunday newspapers. ... St. ... Hitler addressing SA members in the late 1920s The Sturmabteilung (SA, German for Storm Division and is usually translated as stormtroops or stormtroopers) functioned as a paramilitary organisation of the NSDAP – the German Nazi party. ... The International Herald Tribune (or IHT) is fully owned by the New York Times, which along with its own staff journalists and news agencies supplies it with news and features. ... The term National Socialism has been used in self-description by a number of different political groups and ideologies, some of which have no connection with the Nazis; see National socialism (disambiguation). ... Georg Ratzinger (born January 15, 1924) is a German musician and Roman Catholic priest, well known as the elder brother of the current pope, Benedict XVI. Ratzinger was born in Bavaria, Germany. ...

Pope Benedict's brother, Georg, is still living. His sister, Maria Ratzinger, who never married, managed her brother Joseph's household until her death in 1991. Their grand uncle Georg Ratzinger was a priest and member of the Reichstag, as the German Parliament was called then. The pope's relatives agree that his ambitions to serve in the upper echelons of the Church were apparent since childhood. At age five, Ratzinger was in a group of children who presented the Archbishop of Munich with flowers; later that day he announced he wanted to be a cardinal. (See also Early life of Pope Benedict XVI.) 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Georg Ratzinger (born April 3, 1844 in Rickering at Deggendorf, died December 3, 1899 in Munich) was a German Roman Catholic priest, social reformer, author and politician. ... The term Reichstag (   listen?) [ɹaɪçtak] (in English: Imperial Diet) is a composition of German Reich (Empire) and tag (which does not mean day here, but is a derivate of the verb tagen, which means to meet or assemble). ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop heading a diocese of particular importance due to either its size, history, or both, called an archdiocese. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München (pronounced listen) is the state capital of the German state of Bavaria. ... This article covers the early life (1927 - 1951) of Pope Benedict XVI (born Joseph Ratzinger). ...

According to his cousin Erika Kopp, Ratzinger had no desire from childhood to be anything other than a priest. When he was 15, she says, he announced that he was going to be a bishop, whereupon she playfully remarked, 'And why not Pope?'.

When Ratzinger turned 14 he was forced by law to join the Hitler Youth (membership was legally required from December 1936^[4].) According to the National Catholic Reporter correspondent and biographer John Allen, Ratzinger was an unenthusiastic member who refused to attend meetings. Ratzinger has mentioned that a Nazi mathematics professor arranged reduced tuition payments for him at seminary. This normally required documentation of attendance at Hitler Youth activities; however, according to Ratzinger, his sympathetic professor arranged things so that he did not have to attend to receive a scholarship. Flag of the Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth (German: Hitler-Jugend, abbreviated HJ) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party that existed from 1922 to 1945. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The National Catholic Reporter is an independent newspaper published by laypeople, nuns and priests of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and enjoys circulation within the various American dioceses. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ...

Military service (1943–1945)

In 1943, when he was 16, Ratzinger was drafted with many of his classmates into the FlaK (anti-aircraft artillery corps). They guarded various facilities including a BMW aircraft engine plant north of Munich and, later, the jet fighter base at Gilching, where Ratzinger served in telephone communications. After his class was released from the Corps in September 1944, Ratzinger was put to work setting up anti-tank defences in the Hungarian border area of Austria in preparation for the expected Red Army offensive. When his unit was released from service in November 1944, he went home for three weeks, and then was drafted into the German army at Munich to receive basic infantry training in the nearby town of Traunstein. His unit served at various posts around the city and was never sent to the front. 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... The BMW logo is a circle (known as a roundel) divided into quadrants of alternating white and light blue color. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Red Army flag The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya in Russian), the armed forces organised by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

In late April or early May, 1945 days or weeks before the German surrender, Ratzinger deserted. Desertion was widespread during the last weeks of the war, even though punishable by death (executions, frequently extrajudicial, continued to the end); diminished morale and the greatly diminished risk of prosecution from a preoccupied and disorganized German military contributed to the growing wave of soldiers looking toward self-preservation. On his way home he ran into soldiers on guard, but they let him go. When the Americans arrived in the village, all soldiers were taken prisoners of war. Ratzinger was briefly interned in a prisoner-of-war camp near Ulm and was repatriated on June 19, 1945. The family was reunited when his brother, Georg, returned after being repatriated from a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy. This article chronicles the end of the European Theatre of World War II. On April 25, 1945 United States and Soviet troops linked-up, cutting Germany in two (see Elbe Day). ... Desertion is the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from an entity to which one has given an oath, or has claimed to owe allegiance, responsibility or loyalty. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... A Prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of persons captured by the enemy in time of war. ... Ulm is a city in the German Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg (about 100 km south-east of Stuttgart). ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Education (1946–1951)

After he was repatriated in 1945, he and his brother entered Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein, and then studied at the Ducal Georgianum (Herzogliches Georgianum) of the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. According to an interview with Peter Seewald, he and his fellow students were particularly influenced by the works of Gertrud von le Fort, Ernst Wiechert, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Elisabeth Langgässer, Theodor Steinbüchel, Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers. The young Ratzinger saw the last three in particular as a break with the dominance of Neo-Kantianism, with the key work being Steinbüchel's Die Wende des Denkens ("The Change in Thinking"). By the end of his studies he was drawn more to the active Saint Augustine than to Thomas Aquinas, and among the scholastics he was more interested in Saint Bonaventure. With approximately 48,000 students, the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (German: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München or LMU) is one of the largest universities in Germany. ... Fyodor Dostoevsky. ... Martin Heidegger (September 26, 1889 – May 26, 1976) was a German philosopher. ... Karl Jaspers Karl Theodor Jaspers (February 23, 1883 – February 26, 1969), a German psychiatrist and philosopher, had a strong influence on modern theology, psychiatry and philosophy. ... Neo-Kantianism means a revived or modified type of philosophy along the lines of that laid down by Immanuel Kant in the eighteenth century. ... St. ... St Thomas Aquinas Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – March 7, 1274) was an Italian , Catholic philosopher and theologian in the scholastic tradition. ... Scholastic redirects here. ... Saint Bonaventura, John of Fidanza, Franciscan theologian, was born in 1221 at Bagnarea in Tuscany. ...

On June 29, 1951, he and his brother were ordained by Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber of Munich. His dissertation (1953) was on Saint Augustine, entitled "The People and the House of God in Augustine's Doctrine of the Church," and his Habilitationsschrift (a dissertation which serves as qualification for a professorship) was on Saint Bonaventure. It was completed in 1957 and he became a professor of Freising College in 1958. June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... His Eminence Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber (born March 3, 1869 in Unterfranken, died June 12, 1952 in Munich) was a Cardinal in the Catholic Church and Arch Bishop of Munich during 35 years, from 1917 to his death in 1952. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München (pronounced listen) is the state capital of the German state of Bavaria. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Habilitation is a term used within the university system in Germany, Austria, and some other European countries such as the German-speaking part of Switzerland, in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Freising is a city in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district Freising. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early church career (1951–1981)

Ratzinger as a young priest celebrates mass in Ruhpolding, Germany in 1952.

Ratzinger offers an oath of submission at the September 1978 papal inauguration of John Paul I.

Ratzinger is given a formal farewell as he leaves the Archdiocese of Munich to become the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on February 28, 1982.

Ratzinger with John Paul II in 2003.

Ratzinger debates with German philosopher Jürgen Habermas at the Catholic Academy of Bavaria, Germany in 2004.

Ratzinger became a professor at the University of Bonn in 1959; his inaugural lecture was on "The God of Faith and the God of Philosophy." In 1963 he moved to the University of Münster, where his inaugural lecture was given in a packed lecture hall, as he was already well known as a theologian. At the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), Ratzinger served as a peritus or theological consultant to Josef Cardinal Frings of Cologne, Germany, and has continued to defend the council, including Nostra Aetate, the document on respect of other religions and the declaration of the right to religious freedom. He was viewed during the time of the council as a reformer. (Later, as the Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger most clearly spelled out the Catholic Church's position on other religions in the document Dominus Iesus (2000) which also talks about the proper way to engage in ecumenical dialogue.) Vatican released photograph of Pope Benedict XVI as a priest, celebrating mass in the mountains of Ruhpolding, GGermany in 1952. ... Vatican released photograph of Pope Benedict XVI as a priest, celebrating mass in the mountains of Ruhpolding, GGermany in 1952. ... Image File history File links This file has been listed on Wikipedia:Images and media for deletion. ... Image File history File links This file has been listed on Wikipedia:Images and media for deletion. ... Photo by Diether Endlicher of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger leaving Munich on February 28, 1982 as he is summoned to the Vatican by Pope John Paul II for his appointment as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. ... Photo by Diether Endlicher of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger leaving Munich on February 28, 1982 as he is summoned to the Vatican by Pope John Paul II for his appointment as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. ... Image File history File links Pope John Paul II, right, greets Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Catholic Churchs Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, during the traditional exchange of Christmas greetings at the Vatican in this Dec. ... Image File history File links Pope John Paul II, right, greets Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Catholic Churchs Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, during the traditional exchange of Christmas greetings at the Vatican in this Dec. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Habermas speaking with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, 2004 Jürgen Habermas (born June 18, 1929 in Düsseldorf, Germany) is a philosopher and social theorist in the tradition of critical theory. ... The main building, viewed from the Hofgarten. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The University of Münster (German Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, WWU) is a public university located in the city of Münster in Germany. ... The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Josef Frings (6 February 1887 - 17 December 1978), previously also known as Joseph Richard Frings was appointed Archbishop of Köln on 1 May 1942, and was elevated to Cardinal on 18 February 1946. ... Cologne skyline at night. ... Nostra Ætate is the Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions of the Second Vatican Council. ... Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... Dominus Iesus (Latin for Lord Jesus) is a document by Pope Benedict XVI, written when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Congregations then secretary, Tarcisio Bertone. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The word ecumenical comes from a Greek word that means pertaining to the whole world. ...

In 1966, he took a chair in dogmatic theology at the University of Tübingen, where he was a colleague of Hans Küng. In his 1968 book Introduction to Christianity, he wrote that the pope has a duty to hear differing voices within the Church before making a decision, and downplayed the centrality of the papacy. He also wrote that the church of the time was too centralized, rule-bound and overly controlled from Rome. These sentences, however, did not appear in later editions of the book. During this time, he distanced himself from the atmosphere of Tübingen and the Marxist leanings of the student movement of the 1960s, that in Germany quickly radicalised in the years 1967 and 1968, culminating in a series of disturbances and riots in April and May 1968. Ratzinger came increasingly to see these and associated developments (decreasing respect for authority among his students, the rise of the German gay rights movement) as related to a departure from traditional Catholic teachings. Increasingly, his views, despite his reformist bent, contrasted with those liberal ideas gaining currency in the theological academy.^[5] In 1969 he returned to Bavaria, to the University of Regensburg. 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (German: Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen) is a state-supported university located on the Neckar river, in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Hans Küng (born March 19, 1928 in Sursee, Canton of Lucerne), is an eminent Swiss theologian, and a prolific author. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Regensburg (English formerly Ratisbon, Latin Ratisbona, Czech Řezno) is a city (population 146,824 in 2002) in Bavaria, south-east Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. ...

In 1972, he founded the theological journal Communio with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, Walter Kasper and others. Communio, now published in seventeen editions (German, English, Spanish and many others), has become one of the most important journals of Catholic thought. He remains one of the journal's most prolific contributors. 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... The theological journal Communio was founded in 1972 by Joseph Ratzinger (later elected Pope Benedict XVI), Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac and others. ... Hans Urs von Balthasar (August 12, 1905 - June 26, 1988) was a Swiss Roman Catholic theologian. ... Henri de Lubac (February 20, 1896-September 4, 1991), a French Jesuit, can be considered to be one of the most influential theologians of post-modern time. ... His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper (born March 5, 1933) is a Cardinal Deacon and President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in the Roman Catholic Church. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A journal (through French from late Latin diurnalis, daily) is a daily record of events or business. ...

In March 1977 Ratzinger was named archbishop of Munich and Freising. According to his autobiography, Milestones, he took as his episcopal motto Cooperatores Veritatis, co-workers of the Truth, from 3 John: 8. 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop heading a diocese of particular importance due to either its size, history, or both, called an archdiocese. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München (pronounced listen) is the state capital of the German state of Bavaria. ... Freising is a city in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district Freising. ... The Third Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament. ...

In the consistory of June 1977 he was named a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. By the time of the 2005 Conclave, he was one of only 14 remaining cardinals appointed by Paul VI, and one of only three of those under the age of 80, and one of only two who participated in the conclave, the other being Cardinal Baum. Antiquity Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply sitting together, just as the Greek syn(h)edrion (from which the biblical sanhedrin was a corruption). ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and appointed by him as a member of the College of Cardinals during a consistory. ... His Holiness Pope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ...

Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1981–2005)

Cardinal Ratzinger. Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

On November 25, 1981, Pope John Paul II named Ratzinger prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition. He resigned the Munich archdiocese in early 1982. Already a cardinal priest, he was raised to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni in 1993. He became vice-dean of the College of Cardinals in 1998, and dean in 2002. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... Pedro Berruguete. ... In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In office, Ratzinger usually took traditional views on topics such as birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. Among other things, he played a key role in silencing outspoken liberation theologians and clergy in Latin America in the 1980s. Birth control is a regimen of one or more extra actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelyhood of a woman becoming pregnant. ... Since its coining, the term homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... The word ecumenism (IPA: ɛkˌjuˈmʌnɪzʌm) is derived from the Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world. The term is usually used with regard to movements toward religious unity. ... Liberation theology is an important and controversial school in the theology of the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

(See also Theology of Pope Benedict XVI.) Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI has taken positions similar to his predecessor, John Paul II, and has been a staunch defender of Catholic doctrine. ...

Health

In the early 1990s Ratzinger suffered a stroke which slightly impaired his eyesight temporarily. The existence of the stroke had been known during the conclave that elected him pope. In May 2005, the Vatican revealed that he had subsequently suffered another mild stroke - it did not reveal when, other than that it occurred between 2003 and 2005. France's Philippe Cardinal Barbarin further revealed that since the first stroke, Ratzinger has suffered from a heart condition. Because of his health problems, Ratzinger had hoped to retire, but had continued in his position in obedience to the wishes of Pope John Paul II.^[6] // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ... A stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted by occlusion (an ischemic stroke- approximately 90%of strokes) or by hemorrhage (a hemorrhagic stroke - approximately 10% of strokes). ... Philippe Barbarin His Eminence Philippe Xavier Christian Ignace Marie Cardinal Barbarin (born October 17, 1950 in Rabat, Morocco) is the current archbishop of Lyon, France, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Response to sex abuse scandal

As Cardinal Ratzinger was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the sexual abuse of minors by priests was his responsibility to investigate from 2001, when that charge was given to the CDF by Pope John Paul. ^[7]

On May 18, 2001, Ratzinger, as part of the implementation of the norms enacted and promulgated ^[8] on April 30, 2001 by Pope John Paul II, sent a Latin language letter ^[9] to every bishop in the Catholic Church reminding them of the strict penalties facing those who revealed confidential details concerning enquiries into allegations against priests of certain grave ecclesiastical crimes, including sexual abuse, reserved to the jurisdiction of the CDF. The letter extended the prescription (statute of limitations) for these crimes to ten years. However, when the crime is sexual abuse of a minor, the "prescription begins to run from the day on that which the minor completes the eighteenth year of age." ^[10] Lawyers acting for two alleged victims of abuse in Texas claim that by sending the letter the cardinal conspired to obstruct justice. ^[11] However, the letter did not discourage victims from reporting the abuse itself to the police; the secrecy related to the internal investigation. "The letter said the new norms reflected the CDF's traditional “exclusive competence” regarding delicta graviora—Latin for “graver offenses.” According to canon law experts in Rome, reserving cases of clerical sexual abuse of minors to the CDF is something new. In past eras, some serious crimes by priests against sexual morality, including pedophilia, were handled by that congregation or its predecessor, the Holy Office, but this has not been true in recent years." ^[12] The promulgation of the norms by Pope John Paul II and the subsequent letter by the then Prefect of the CDF were published in 2001 in Acta Apostolicae Sedis ^[13] which, in accordance with the Code of Canon Law ^[14], is the Holy See's official journal, disseminated monthly to thousands of libraries and offices around the world. ^[15] May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining, as the last day in April. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... // Sexual abuse in general Sexual abuse is a form of abuse that is made by means of the sexual behavior between an victim(s) and offender(s). ... A statute of limitations is a statute in a common law legal system setting forth the maximum period of time, after certain events, that legal proceedings based on those events may begin. ... In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ...

In 2002, Ratzinger accurately told the Catholic News Service that "less than one percent of priests are guilty of acts of this type." ^[16] Opponents saw this as ignoring the crimes of those who committed the abuse; others saw it as merely pointing out that this should not taint other priests who live respectable lives. ^[17] A report by the Catholic Church itself estimated that some 4,450 of the Roman Catholic clergy who served between 1950 and 2002 have faced credible accusations of abuse. ^[18] His Good Friday reflections in 2005 were interpreted as strongly condemning and regretting the abuse scandals, which largely put to rest the speculation of indifference. Shortly after his election, he told Francis Cardinal George, the Archbishop of Chicago, that he would attend to the matter. ^[19] 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Cardinal George is the current Archbishop of Chicago. ... Holy Name Cathedral is the motherchurch of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. ...

Dialogue with other faiths

In 2000, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published a document entitled Dominus Iesus which reaffirmed the historic doctrine and mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel. This was misunderstood by some who mistakenly believed that the Church had previously repudiated its unique role in the world. ^[20]. This article is about the year 2000. ... Dominus Iesus (Latin for Lord Jesus) is a document by Pope Benedict XVI, written when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Congregations then secretary, Tarcisio Bertone. ...

This document pointed out the danger to the Church of relativistic theories which seek to justify religious pluralism by denying that God has revealed truth to humanity. (par. 4)

Addressing the question that one religion is as a good as another (syncretism or indifferentism) it states: ...followers of other religions can receive divine grace, it is also certain that objectively speaking they are in a gravely deficient situation in comparison with those who, in the Church, have the fullness of the means of salvation. (par.22) Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ...

The deliberate ommission of "filioque" clause ("and the Son") in the first paragraph ^[21] is seen as an outreach to Orthodox Church which has been in conflict with the Roman Catholic Church over its addition to the Nicene Creed for about one thousand years.^[22] In Christian theology the filioque clause (and the Son) is a disputed part of the Nicene Creed. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Nicene Creed, or the Icon/Symbol of the Faith, is a Christian statement of faith accepted by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and most Protestant churches. ...

The World Jewish Congress "welcomed" his election to the pontificate, noted "his great sensitivity to the Jewish history and the Holocaust", and quoted the Pope in its press release: The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations. ...

Even if the most recent, loathsome experience of the Shoah (Holocaust) was perpetrated in the name of an anti-Christian ideology, which tried to strike the Christian faith at its Abrahamic roots in the people of Israel, it cannot be denied that a certain insufficient resistance to this atrocity on the part of Christians can be explained by an inherited anti-Judaism present in the hearts of not a few Christians. ^[23]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama congratulated Pope Benedict XVI upon his election. ^[24] The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lamas are a sequence of leaders, since 1391, from the Gelug (dge lugs) school. ...

In an interview in 2004 for Le Figaro magazine, Ratzinger said Turkey, a country Muslim by heritage and staunchly secularist by its state constitution, should seek its future in an association of Islamic nations rather than the EU, which has Christian roots. He said Turkey had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe" and that linking it to Europe would be a mistake.^[25] 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Le Figaro is one of the leading French morning daily newspapers. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... // Definition Secularism means: in philosophy, the belief that life can be best lived by applying ethics, and the universe best understood, by processes of reasoning, without reference to a god or gods or other supernatural concepts. ... Islam ( Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen?) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...

His defenders argue that it is to be expected that a leader within the Catholic Church would forcefully and explicitly argue in favor of the superiority of Catholicism over other religions. Others also maintain that single quotes from Dominus Iesus are not indicative of intolerance or an unwillingness to engage in dialogue with other faiths, and this is clear from a reading of the entire document. They point out that Ratzinger has been very active in promoting inter-faith dialogue. Specifically, they argue that Ratzinger has been instrumental at encouraging reconciliation with Lutherans. In defending Dominus Iesus, Ratzinger himself has stated that his belief is that inter-faith dialogue should take place on the basis of equal human dignity, but that equality of human dignity should not imply that each side is equally correct. This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... Dominus Iesus (Latin for Lord Jesus) is a document by Pope Benedict XVI, written when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Congregations then secretary, Tarcisio Bertone. ... This article discusses faith in a religious context. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ...

Ratzinger and Fatima

Ratzinger's Article

Ratzinger has long been tied into the message of Our Lady of Fatima to three young Portuguese children. Notably, until her death, Lúcia dos Santos was under orders from the Vatican not to discuss the Fatima revelations publicly unless given leave by Cardinal Ratzinger, one of seven people known to have read the actual Third Message put into writing in 1944, and author of the Theological Commentary on the Third Message, one of four canon sourceworks kept alongside the Message. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Our Lady of Fatima (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora do Rosário da Fátima) is one of the best-known Marian apparitions in the world. ... Sister Lúcia of Jesus Maria Lúcia Rosa dos Santos – Sister Lúcia of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart, better known as Sister Lúcia of Jesus – (March 22, 1907 – February 13, 2005) was a Roman Catholic Carmelite nun. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1984, an interview with Ratzinger was published in the Pauline Sisters newsletter and that it deals with "dangers threatening the faith and the life of the Christian and therefore of the world", while stating that it marks the beginning of the end-times. A year later the interview was re-published in The Ratzinger Report, though several statements were omitted - either for editorial reasons, or clandestine conspiratorial reasons - depending on the party asked. The origins of Pauline Christianity lie in the teachings of Paul of Tarsus, who declared himself the Apostle to the Gentiles, and its development in his circle and among his followers. ... Look up Apocalypse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Apocalypse is a Greek word and is formed by the combination of apo (away) with calypse (disclose). ...

In October of 1987 he stated that the things contained in [the] Third Secret correspond to what has been announced in Scripture and has been said again and again in many other Marian apparitions; first of all, that of Fatima in what is already known of what its message contains, conversion and penitence are the essential conditions for salvation.

Ratzinger and Bertone at the press conference

In 1997, Ratzinger and Capovilla publicly stated that the Third Message was not being withheld for fears it would condemn the changes of the Vatican II council. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ...

On June 26th 2000, following the release of the text of the prophecy, Ratzinger issued a joint statement with Cardinal Bertone that the third and final chapter of Mary's prophecy had been fulfilled in 1981 in a failed attempt on the Pope's life; critics point out however that a year after the attempted assassination, Lúcia told the Pope that the third prophecy had still not been fulfilled. He was quoted in the media as stating "No great mystery is revealed; nor is the future unveiled. A careful reading of the text will probably prove disappointing." Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone is the Archbishop of Genoa and was considered papabile following the death of Pope John Paul II. His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone (born 2 December 1934) is Archbishop of Genoa and a Cardinal Priest in the Roman Catholic Church. ... Mary is a popular name worldwide originally derived from the ancient Egyptian word Mery meaning beloved, and is the most popular name for a female in the United States. ...

Papacy

Not knowing that within a few weeks he would ascend the Throne of St. Peter himself, Ratzinger presided over the 2005 Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in place of Pope John Paul II.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger celebrated Easter Vigil mass at St. ... Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger celebrated Easter Vigil mass at St. ...

Election to the Papacy

Prediction

On January 2, 2005, Time magazine quoted unnamed Vatican sources as saying that Ratzinger was a frontrunner to succeed John Paul II should the pope die or become too ill to continue as pope. On the death of John Paul II, the Financial Times gave the odds of Ratzinger becoming pope as 7–1, the lead position, but close to his rivals on the liberal wing of the church. In April 2005, before his election as pope, he was identified as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Ratzinger himself had repeatedly stated he would like to retire to a Bavarian village and dedicate himself to writing books, but more recently, he told friends he was ready to "accept any charge God placed on him." January 2 is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Notable Time magazine covers from the dates May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the... The Financial Times (FT) is an international business newspaper printed on distinctive salmon pink broadsheet paper. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Ongoing events • Iraqi legislative election • Bill C-38 (Canada gay marriage) • Tsunami relief • Cedar Revolution in Lebanon • Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan • German Visa Affair 2005 • Expo 2005 in Nagoya, Japan • Terri Schiavo controversy • Pope John Paul II... // Leaders and revolutionaries Mahmoud Abbas - new President of the Palestinian Authority Gordon Brown - British Chancellor of the Exchequer George W. Bush — President of the United States Hugo Chávez - President of Venezuela Chen Shui-bian - President of the Republic of China; leader of Taiwan. ...

Piers Paul Read wrote in The Spectator on March 5, 2005: The Spectator is a conservative British political magazine, established 1828, published weekly. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

There can be little doubt that his courageous promotion of orthodox Catholic teaching has earned him the respect of his fellow cardinals throughout the world. He is patently holy, highly intelligent and sees clearly what is at stake. Indeed, for those who blame the decline of Catholic practice in the developed world precisely on the propensity of many European bishops to hide their heads in the sand, a pope who confronts it may be just what is required. Ratzinger is no longer young—he is 78 years old: but Angelo Roncalli, who revolutionized Catholicism by calling the Second Vatican Council was almost the same age (76) when he became pope as John XXIII. As Jeff Israely, the correspondent of Time, was told by a Vatican insider last month, "The Ratzinger solution is definitely on."

However, Papal predictions in modern history had usually been wrong, with the most popular candidates often losing the election in favor of a more unknown, obscure cardinal. For example following the death of Pope Paul VI many in the media predicted the next pope would be a non-Italian, only to have this prediction proven wrong with the election of Albino Luciani as John Paul I. Likewise, when John Paul died many predicted his successor would in turn be another Italian, yet this also was proven wrong with the election of the Polish Karol Wojtyła, who was himself an obscure candidate. Pope John XXIII (Latin: ), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (November 25, 1881 – June 3, 1963), reigned as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from October 28, 1958 until his death in 1963. ... John Paul I, seen here on the papal throne, is wearing an inexpensive silver pectoral cross, not the standard golden cross worn by Popes and his uncut hair, simply brushed back, was considered unusual but more genuine and modest than the dandy coifs of the other Cardinals. ...

Election

Benedict XVI appears on the balcony shortly after his election.

Benedict's installation mass on St. Peter's Square

Angelo Cardinal Sodano kisses the ring of the new Pope for the first time at his installation mass

On April 19, 2005 Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as the successor to Pope John Paul II on the second day of the papal conclave after four ballots. Coincidentally, April 19 is the feast of St. Leo IX, a German pope and saint who instituted major reforms in the Middle Ages during his papacy. Subject: Pope Benedict XVI Source: REUTERS/Osservatore Romano-Arturo Mari From: http://story. ... Subject: Pope Benedict XVI Source: REUTERS/Osservatore Romano-Arturo Mari From: http://story. ... Image:Pope Benedict Mass of Installation. ... Image:Pope Benedict Mass of Installation. ... Image:Benedict sodano. ... Image:Benedict sodano. ... Cardinal Sodano with Condoleezza Rice Angelo Sodano kisses the ring of Pope Benedict XVI for the first time His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Sodano (born 23 November 1927) is the Cardinal Secretary of State, first appointed by Pope John Paul II and then reappointed by Pope Benedict XVI. In April 2005... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Papal conclave of 2005 began on April 18, 2005 and ended the next day after four ballots. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... Leo IX, born Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg (June 21, 1002 - April 19, 1054) was pope from February 12, 1049 to his death. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

Cardinal Ratzinger had hoped to retire peacefully and said that "At a certain point, I prayed to God 'please don't do this to me'...Evidently, this time He didn't listen to me." ^[26]

Styles of Pope Benedict XVI

Reference style His Holiness Spoken style Your Holiness Religious style Holy Father Other Religious style (if awarded after death) not applicable

Before his first appearance at the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica after becoming pope, he was announced by Jorge Cardinal Medina Estévez, the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Medina Estévez first addressed the massive crowd as "dear(est) brothers and sisters" in Italian, Spanish, French, German and English — each language receiving cheers from the international crowd — before continuing in Latin. Download high resolution version (800x1294, 286 KB) This work is copyrighted. ... A style is a form of address which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a title or post, or to the office itself. ... His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) His Holiness is the official style or manner of address in reference to the leaders of certain religious groups. ... Interior view, with the nave of the Cattedra in the back St. ... Jorge Arturo Cardinal Medina Estévez (born December 23, 1926) is a retired cardinal from Santiago, Chile. ... Protodeacon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

At the balcony, Benedict's first words to the crowd, before he gave the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing, were: Urbi et Orbi, literally to the City (of Rome) and to the World, was a standard opening of Roman proclamations. ...

Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple and humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord.

The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with inadequate instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers.

In the joy of the Risen Lord, let us move forward, confident of his unfailing help. The Lord will help us and Mary, his Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you. (translation from original Italian).

He then gave the blessing to the people.

Choice of name

The choice of the name Benedict (Latin "the blessed") is significant. Benedict XVI used his first General Audience in St. Peter's Square, on April 27, 2005, to explain to the world on why he chose the name: April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

"Filled with sentiments of awe and thanksgiving, I wish to speak of why I chose the name Benedict. Firstly, I remember Pope Benedict XV, that courageous prophet of peace, who guided the Church through turbulent times of war. In his footsteps I place my ministry in the service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples. Additionally, I recall Saint Benedict of Norcia, co-patron of Europe, whose life evokes the Christian roots of Europe. I ask him to help us all to hold firm to the centrality of Christ in our Christian life: May Christ always take first place in our thoughts and actions!" ^[27]

Pope Benedict XV, born Giacomo della Chiesa (November 21, 1854 – January 22, 1922), reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from September 3, 1914 to 1922; he succeeded Pope Saint Pius X. // Early life Arms of Benedict XV Della Chiesa was born in Genoa... This article is about Saint Benedict of Nursia, for other uses of the name Benedict see Benedict (disambiguation) Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. ...

Early days of Papacy

Papal Arms of Pope Benedict XVI. The papal tiara was replaced with a bishop's mitre, and pallium of the Pope was added beneath the coat of arms.

Pope Benedict has confounded the expectations of many in the early days of his papacy by his gentle public persona and his promise to listen. It is notable that he has used an open popemobile, saying that he wants to be closer to the people. This is the rendering of the arms of Pope Benedict XVI done by Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo for the Popes personal use only. ... This is the rendering of the arms of Pope Benedict XVI done by Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo for the Popes personal use only. ... The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, in Latin as the Triregnum, or in Italian as the Triregno,[1] is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown of Byzantine and Persian origin that is the symbol of the papacy. ... The mitre or miter (from the Greek mitra, headband) is a high and pointed type of headgear, originating in ancient Persia, now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and also certain other clergy in the Eastern... A Pallium The Pallium or Pall (derived, so far as the name is concerned, from the Roman pallium or palla, a woollen cloak) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries past bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as... Another popemobile, produced by Fiat Pope John Paul II on a popemobile The popemobile is an informal name for the specially designed vehicle used by the pope during public appearances. ...

Benedict's coat of arms have officially omitted the papal tiara, traditionally appearing in the background to designate the Pope's position and replaced it with a simple mitre.^[28] However, there have been papal documents since his inauguration that have been appearing with the papal tiara present. Since it is the shield and not the background which is unique to the individual Pope, various backgrounds are possible (though rarely used) for even a single shield. Initial rendering of the arms of Pope Benedict XVI The coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI was designed by Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo soon after the papal election. ... The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, in Latin as the Triregnum, or in Italian as the Triregno,[1] is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown of Byzantine and Persian origin that is the symbol of the papacy. ... The mitre or miter (from the Greek mitra, headband) is a high and pointed type of headgear, originating in ancient Persia, now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and also certain other clergy in the Eastern...

During his inaugural Mass, the previous custom of all the cardinals submitting was replaced by having 12 people, representing cardinals, clergy, religious, a married couple and their child, and newly confirmed people, submit to him. However, all the cardinals had already sworn their obedience upon his election. In a return to tradition, Benedict chose to resurrect the ancient tradition of the red papal shoes and to delegate the celebration of the beatification liturgies. Confirmation can refer to: Confirmation (sacrament) Confirmation (epistemology) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Papal slippers. ...

Teachings

As Pope, Benedict XVI's main role is to teach about the Catholic faith and the solutions to the problems of the faith, a role that he can play well being a former head of the Church's Congregation of the Faith. The emphases of his teachings are stated in more detail in Theology of Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI has taken positions similar to his predecessor, John Paul II, and has been a staunch defender of Catholic doctrine. ...

Friendship with Jesus Christ

According to commentators, during the Inaugural Mass, the core of his message, the most moving and famous part, is found in the last paragraph of his homily where he referred to both Jesus Christ and John Paul II. After referring to John Paul II's well-known words (Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!), Benedict XVI says:

Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us?...And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation....When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. [29]

"Friendship with Jesus Christ" is a theme of his preaching which is found in many of his homilies and his addresses. For example, his address to the priests of Rome, his diocese as bishop: [30] and to the cardinals in the pre-conclave, a key public address to the Church's top leaders: [31]

"Dictatorship of relativism"

Continuing what he said in the pre-conclave Mass about what he has often referred to as the "central problem of our faith today": [32] the world "moving towards a dictatorship of relativism", [33] on June 6, 2005 he also said: Relativism is the view that the meaning and value of human beliefs and behaviors have no absolute reference. ...

"Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of education is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativism which, recognizing nothing as definitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires. And under the semblance of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his or her own '

He also traced the failed revolutions and ideologies of the 20th century to a conversion of partial points of view into absolute guides: "Absolutizing what is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism," he said during World Youth Day. Relativism is the view that the meaning and value of human beliefs and behaviors have no absolute reference. ...

In an address to a conference of the Diocese of Rome held at St. John Lateran basilica on June 6, 2005, Benedict remarked on the issues of same-sex marriage and abortion: Late Baroque façade of the Basilica, completed, after a competition for the design, by Alessandro Galilei in 1735 St. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... Same-sex marriage is marriage between individuals who are of the same legal or biological sex. ...

"The various forms of the dissolution of matrimony today, like free unions, trial marriages and going up to pseudo-matrimonies by people of the same sex, are rather expressions of an anarchic freedom that wrongly passes for true freedom of man...from here it becomes all the more clear how contrary it is to human love, to the profound vocation of man and woman, to systematically close their union to the gift of life, and even worse to suppress or tamper with the life that is born," he said.^[34]

Curial appointments

Upon becoming Pope, Benedict reappointed all former officers of the Roman Curia under John Paul II to new terms, their terms having ended with the papacy. This assured an easy transition into new government. The highest of those appointments are those considered to be Benedict XVI's prime ministers: Angelo Cardinal Sodano of Italy who serves as Cardinal Secretary of State and Edmund Cardinal Szoka of the United States who serves as Governor of Vatican City. The Roman Curia is the complex of the organs and the authorities that constitute the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Roman Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. ... A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives... Cardinal Sodano with Condoleezza Rice Angelo Sodano kisses the ring of Pope Benedict XVI for the first time His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Sodano (born 23 November 1927) is the Cardinal Secretary of State, first appointed by Pope John Paul II and then reappointed by Pope Benedict XVI. In April 2005... The Cardinal Secretary of State presides over the Vatican Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia. ... Edmund Casimir Cardinal Szoka (born September 14, 1927) is Archbishop emeritus of Detroit, Michigan, President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, and President of the Governatorate of Vatican City. ... The Governor of Vatican City is concurrently the President of the Governatorate of Vatican City and sometimes called the President of Vatican City. ...

Benedict XVI's only major new appointment was that of his successor as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Early speculation included the names of Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna in Austria and Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago in the United States. Both were renowned for their knowledge of Church doctrine and were considered among the more conservative members of the College of Cardinals. Christoph Cardinal Schönborn His Eminence Christoph Cardinal Schönborn OP (who would have been Count Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert von Schönborn if Austrian law on nobility were not in place), born on January 22, 1945 at Skalken castle west of Leitmeritz, in Bohemia, which is... The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. ... Cardinal George is the current Archbishop of Chicago. ... Holy Name Cathedral is the motherchurch of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. ...

On May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI appointed a non-Cardinal, William Joseph Levada, Archbishop of San Francisco in the United States. Renowned for his knowledge of Church doctrine due to his office as principal editor of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church, Levada is considered by some to be even more staunchly conservative than all the Pope's choices within the College of Cardinals. Levada relinquishes his see in San Francisco on August 17, 2005 and is expected to be raised in consistory to the title of Cardinal. May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... William Joseph Levada is the appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. ... The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is the ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 with the authorization of Pope John Paul II.[1] To correspond exactly with the official text in Latin,[2] which appeared in 1997, five... A see (from the Latin word sedem, meaning seat) is the throne (cathedra) of a bishop. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

Due to the immense influence wielded by the office of Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—arguably more immense than that of the Pope's own prime ministers—Benedict XVI's appointment of an American in effect raises the United States into greater prominence in the universal Church. That fact sparked many fears that the United States was being given too much power in the Church; people worldwide generally express uneasiness that the United States already dominates global politics. It is for that reason that Americans are never considered papabile. Papabile - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Beatifications

Benedict XVI oversaw his first beatification on May 14, 2005, honoring Mother Marianne Cope of Hawaii with the title Blessed. He wore a traditional Hawaiian maile lei as a stole for the occasion.

On May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI made his first promulgation of the beatification process. The honoree of the process was his predecessor, John Paul II. Normally five years pass before the beatification process begins for a person after his or her death but due to the popularity of John Paul II — devotees chanted "Santo subito!" meaning "Saint now!" during the late pontiff's funeral — Benedict XVI waived the custom and officially styled the late pope with the title given to all those being scrutinized in the beatification process, Servant of God. On May 14, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI is presented with a maile lei for the beatification of Mother Marianne Cope of Hawaii. ... On May 14, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI is presented with a maile lei for the beatification of Mother Marianne Cope of Hawaii. ... The Stole (a liturgical vestment of various Christian denominations) is an embroidered band of cloth, formerly usually of silk, about two and one-half to three metres long and seven to ten centimetres wide, whose ends are usually broadened out. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... In Catholicism, beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed, via Greek μακαριος, makarios) is a recognition accorded by the church of a dead persons accession to Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name (intercession of saints). ... Servant of God is the title given to a person of the Roman Catholic Church upon whom a pope has opened a cause of sainthood. ...

Upon the confirmation after scrutiny that the late pontiff's life is found morally clean and manifests heroic virtues, a decree of heroicity will be proclaimed and John Paul II will be declared Venerable on the road to beatification. Before changes in canon law in 1917, the title Venerable was given at the same time a person was declared Servant of God. Upon the confirmation of miracles attributed to the honoree, John Paul II would then be declared Blessed. A person is strictly prohibited from being officially celebrated in Mass until he or she achieves the title of Blessed. Venerable is a title confered on persons for a number of religious reasons. ... In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... According to many religions, a miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by God in the universe by which the operations of the ordinary course of Nature are overruled, suspended, or modified. ... Blessed is a dancehall album by Jamaican musician Beenie Man, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music). ... Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) presiding at the 2005 Easter Vigil Mass in place of the dying Pope John Paul II. Mass is the term used of the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin rites of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

The next day, on May 14, Benedict XVI made his first official beatification, raising Mother Marianne Cope — who served with Blessed Damien of Molokai helping those suffering from leprosy in what is now the Diocese of Honolulu in Hawaii — to the title of "Blessed Marianne of Molokai." She was the first addition to the calendar of saints by Benedict XVI announcing an optional feast to be celebrated in her honor annually on January 23. Blessed Damien and Blessed Marianne are the patrons of HIV/AIDS and outcasts. Both are expected to become the first saints of the Hawaiian Islands. Mother Ascensión Nicol Goñi was also beatified on the same day. May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... Mother Marianne Cope, also called Blessed Marianne of Molokai, lived, worked and died for the lepers of Hawaii. ... Father Damien is the patron of lepers, outcasts, those with HIV/AIDS and the State of Hawaii. ... Father Damien was a Roman Catholic missionary who helped lepers on Hawaii and also died of the disease. ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Other U.S. States Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Official languages Hawaiian and English Area 28,337 km² (43rd)  - Land 16,649 km²  - Water 11,672 km² (41. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as the saints day of that saint. ... January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... In several forms of Christianity, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system (mainly CD4+ T cells and macrophages; vital components of the hosts immune system), and destroys or impairs their function. ... The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV positive and people living with AIDS. The Red Ribbon was created by singer/songwriter Paul Jabara AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is defined as a collection of symptoms and infections... Outcast is an action-adventure computer game by French developer Appeal, released in 1999 by publisher Infogrames. ... Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawai‘i. ... Mother Ascensión Nicol Goñi is a candidate for sainthood. ...

Unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI delegated the beatification liturgical service to a principal aide, José Cardinal Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. It was noted by Vatican watchers that the practice of delegating prominent functions enjoyed by the late John Paul II would become the norm for Benedict XVI, who seems to prefer the duties of Church manager as opposed to having more of a public face. This may also reflect the need for Benedict to maintain a more restricted public appearance schedule, due to his recent health history, which may be described as resulting from age related illnesses. His Eminence José Cardinal Saraiva Martins (born 6 January 1932) is a Cardinal Deacon and Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Roman Catholic Church. ... Governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope makes use of the Roman Curia, the administrative apparatus of the Holy See. ...

Pope Benedict XVI participated in a Mass attended by 800,000 people in Cologne, Germany, during the World Youth Day. This marked the pontiff's first apostolic journey.

On June 16, 2005, it was learned that the planned beatification of a French priest, the Rev. Leon Dehon, had been suspended by the Vatican after complaints about anti-Semitism in his writings. The Vatican decided to further study the life and writings of the Fr. Dehon, who died in 1925 and who had founded the priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus religious order. The beatification was postponed originally due to the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005. The move came after a French Catholic newspaper, La Croix, reported that some of his writings contained anti-Semitic passages. La Croix quoted his writings as saying Jews were "united in their hatred of Jesus" and were enemies of Christians, and that anti-Semitism was a "sign of hope." Image File history File links Mass with benedict 16. ... Image File history File links Mass with benedict 16. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Leon Gustav Dehon (born March 14, 1843 in La Capelle (Soissons), France; died August 12, 1925 in Brussels, Belgium) Raised in a pious family, Leo Dehons mother was especially devoted to the Sacred Heart, and passed this on to Leo. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

The possibility of declaring Fr. Dehon a saint has been under consideration by the church for decades. The process began formally in 1939. The church declared his virtues in 1983, and John Paul gave him the title "venerable" in 1997 after the church ruled that an electrician in Brazil had been miraculously cured of an illness in 1954 after prayers were directed to him. However, France's government had put the Vatican on notice that it would not send a representative to the beatification, and the French bishops' conference urged the Vatican to act with caution, according to French newspaper reports. ^[35].

For many in the Catholic community who had been concerned about the rapidity of the beatification process during the reign of Pope John Paul II, this incident seemed to indicate that the management of the practice of making saints will be more measured and, possibly, less inclined to speed up the process. Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the...

Concern in parts of the Jewish community may similarly be delaying the beatification process of Pope Pius XII, who was declared Venerable in the 1990's. The overall Jewish concern at the history of Pius XII interventions or lack thereof surfaced in this pontiff's recent visit to the Cologne Synagogue when the president of that synagogue, Abraham Lehrer, asked that the Vatican's archives relating to Pope Pius XII be opened for scrutiny. This was widely reported in the European media and is the first such public call to be directly made. In Catholicism, beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed, via Greek μακαριος, makarios) is a recognition accorded by the church of a dead persons accession to Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name (intercession of saints). ... Pope Pius XII (Latin: ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as Pope and sovereign of Vatican City from March 2, 1939 to 1958. ... Venerable is a title confered on persons for a number of religious reasons. ... Cologne skyline at night. ... A synagogue or synagog (from Greek συναγωγη, transliterated sunagoge, place of assembly literally meeting, assembly) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. ...

Pope Benedict XVI will also have to deal with a class action suit against the Vatican Bank and others brought up in the United States by various Holocaust survivors, alleging collusion in war crimes by the Ustashe regime of the Independent State of Croatia. The class action suit against the Vatican Bank and others was raised by attorneys Tom Easton and Jonathan H. Levy in San Francisco, California on November 15, 1999. ... The Ustaše (often spelled Ustashe in English; singular Ustaša or Ustasha) was a Croatian right-wing organisation put in charge of the Independent State of Croatia by the Axis Powers in 1941. ... The Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH) was the name of the state that encompassed most of Croatia during the World War II. It was set up in April 1941 on parts of the territory that previously was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after its military...

On June 19, 2005, Benedict XVI beatified Father Wladysław Findysz, a martyr of the Communist regime, Father Bronisław Markiewicz, the founder of the Congregation of St. Michael, and Father Ignacy Kłopotowski, the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Loreto. Benedict XVI had delegated Józef Cardinal Glemp of Warsaw to preside over the beatification liturgy, which took place at Piłsudski Square in Warsaw. The beatifications were originally scheduled for April 24 2005, however they were delayed due to the death of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II also started the process of the beatifications of the above Poles, but Benedict XVI had to complete the process. Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Józef Cardinal Glemp (born 28 December 1929) is the Archbishop of Warsaw and Primate of Poland and Ordinary for the faithful of the Oriental Rite residing in Poland. ... Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... PiÅ‚sudski Square - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the...

Canonizations

The first Mass of Canonization for Benedict XVI is scheduled for October 23, 2005 in St. Peter's Square. Benedict XVI will bestow the honor of the title of Saint to: Józef Bilczewski of Poland and Ukraine, Archbishop of Lviv (Lwów); Gaetano Catanoso of Italy, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Veronica (also known as the Missionaries of the Holy Face); Zygmunt Gorazdowski of Poland and Ukraine, priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph; Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga of Chile, priest of the Society of Jesus, and Felice Da Nicosia of Italy, lay member of the Capuchins. October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 69 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Berninis piazza was extended by the Via della Conciliazione, Mussolinis grand avenue of approach. ... Motto: Semper fidelis Oblast Lviv Oblast Municipal government City council (Львівська міська рада) Mayor City chairman Lyubomyr Bunyak Area 171,01 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 808,900 ? 4786/km² Founded City rights 13th century 1353 Latitude Longitude 49°51′ N 24°01′ E Area code +0322 Car plates  ? Twin towns Corning, Freiburg... Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga was a Jesuit priest of Chile. ... The Society of Jesus (Societas Iesu/Jesu (S.J.) in Latin) is a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope. ... For other uses, see Capuchin (disambiguation). ...

Apostolic journeys

1. Italy (March 29): Pope Benedict visited the Italian port of Bari and pledged to make the reconciliation with the Greek Orthodox Church a “fundamental” commitment of his papacy.Benedict made the pledge in a city closely tied to the Orthodox Church. Bari, on Italy’s Adriatic coast, is considered a “bridge” between East and West and is home to the relics of St. Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-Century saint who is one of the most popular in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.The Pope referred to Bari as a “land of meeting and dialogue” with the Orthodox Church in his homily at a Mass that closed a national religious conference. It was his first pilgrimage outside Rome since being elected the 265th leader of the Roman Catholic Church on April 19. Location within Italy Bari is the second largest continental city of Southern Italy, with a population of 326,201 (2001) along 116 sq. ... ... Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas (a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas) in the Netherlands and Flanders, is the common name for the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in 4th century Byzantine Anatolia, (now in modern Turkey) and had a reputation for secret gift...

2. Germany (August 18—August 21, 2005): The Pope arrived in Germany on August 18, 2005, in order to participate in the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne. There he met with President Horst Köhler, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, leader of the Opposition Angela Merkel and others, and visited the famous Cologne Cathedral. The Pope visited the synagogue of the Jewish community in Cologne. After Saint Peter and John Paul II, he thus is the third Pontiff to set foot into a synagogue. He also spoke with representatives of the Muslim and Protestant communities of Cologne. On August 21 he led a mass at Marienfeld with about 800,000 youths present. August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... World Youth Day in Cologne The 20th World Youth Day 2005 was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21, 2005 in Cologne, Germany. ... Cologne skyline at night. ... Horst Köhler (   listen?, born 22 February 1943) is the President of Germany. ... Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder [] (born April 7, 1944), a German politician, has been serving as Chancellor of Germany since 1998. ... Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (born July 17, 1954 in Hamburg) is a German politician and the oppositions candidate to become Chancellor of Germany in the upcoming German federal election, 2005. ... The rear of the cathedral, viewed from across the Rhine Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom) is one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany and has been Colognes most famous landmark for centuries. ... A synagogue or synagog (from Greek συναγωγη, transliterated sunagoge, place of assembly literally meeting, assembly) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the...

See also

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German Cardinal Ratzinger elected Pope Benedict XVI

• Georg Gänswein - private secretary
• Dominus Iesus - document written by Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
• Pope Benedict - list of other popes and antipopes using the name
• Prophecy of the Popes - document by Saint Malachy
• Theology of Pope Benedict XVI - philosophical and theological beliefs of Pope Benedict XVI
• Works of Pope Benedict XVI - literature written by Pope Benedict XVI

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Notes

1. ^  Justin Sparks, John Follain, and Christopher Morgan, "Papal hopeful is a former Hitler Youth," The Sunday Times, April 17, 2005.
2. ^  Richard Bernstein, and Mark Landler, "A cardinal's visit put boy on path to the Vatican," New York Times, April 22, 2005.
3. ^  Richard Bernstein, and Mark Landler, "A future pope is recalled: A lover of cats and Mozart, dazzled by church as a boy," New York Times, April 22, 2005.
4. ^  "Hitler Youth: Prelude to War (1933–1938)," The History Place.
5. ^  Daniel J Wakin, "Turbulence on Campus in 60's Hardened Views of Future Pope," New York Times, April 24, 2005 (accessed June 8, 2005)
6. ^  "Pope has had second stroke", The Sunday Times, (London) May 1, 2005.
7. ^  Jamie Doward, "The Pope, the letter and the child sex claim," The Guardian, April 24, 2005.
8. ^  Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela, The Vatican, April 30, 2001.
9. ^  Epistula ad totius Catholicae Ecclesiae Episcopos aliosque Ordinarios et Hierarchas interesse habentes de delictis gravioribus eidem Congregationi pro Doctrina Fidei reservatis, The Vatican, May 18, 2001.
10. ^  www.bishop-accountability.org Unofficial translation of Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela by the USCCB and a translation of the Norms by Gregory Ingels, both revised by Joseph R. Punderson and Charles J. Scicluna. The new norms (like the American norms) consider a minor to be anyone under the age of 18—a wider definition than in the Code of Canon Law, where minors are below the age of 16.
11. ^  Jamie Doward, "Pope 'obstructed' sex abuse inquiry," The Guardian, April 24, 2005.
12. ^  "Signs of the Times: Doctrinal Congregation Takes Over Priestly Pedophilia Cases", Catholic News Service, December 17, 2001.
13. ^  Acta Apostolicae Sedis 93 (2001): 737–39, 785–88.
14. ^  Code of Canon Law: Canon 8, §1, The Vatican.
15. ^  CanonLaw.info, April 29, 2005 update to Much Ado About Nothing by Dr Edward Peters, JCD, JD
16. ^  "Cardinal Ratzinger ... Sees Agenda Behind the Reporting in U.S.," Zenit News Agency, December 3, 2002.
17. ^  Vatican Transcript of Meditation on the Ninth Station of the Cross, The Vatican.
18. ^  See note 8 above.
19. ^  See note 8 above.
20. ^  Justin Sparks, and John Follain, "Nazi link may dog favourite," The Australian, April 18, 2005.
21. ^  "the official Latin text." Accessed July 7, 2005.
22. ^  "The Filioque: A Church-dividing Issue? An agreed statement of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation", North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, October 25, 2003.
23. ^  "Election of Cardinal Ratzinger as new Pope welcomed," World Jewish Congress, April 19, 2005.
24. ^  "His Holiness the Dalai Lama Greets New Pope," Phayul.com, April 20, 2005; Korean Catholics Welcome New Pontiff," english.chosun.com, April 20, 2005.
25. ^  Jim Bencivenga, "Navigating a clash of civilizations: Examining the new pope's old comments on Turkey's entry into the European Union," Christian Science Monitor, April 22, 2005.
26. ^  http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/25/pope.monday/ Quote from a CNN Interview, April 25, 2005.
27. ^  Pope Benedict XVI's General Audience Speech, The Vatican, April 27, 2005.
28. ^  Coat of Arms of His Holiness Benedict XVI, The Vatican.
29. ^  Nicole Winfield, "Pope Benedict XVI condemns same-sex unions," The Guardian, June 6, 2005.
30. ^  Alan Cooperman, "Pope Halts Beatification of French Priest", Washington Post, June 16, 2005.

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Literature

• Allen, John L.: Cardinal Ratzinger: the Vatican's enforcer of the faith. – New York: Continuum, 2000
• Nichols OP, Aidan: Theology of Joseph Ratzinger. – Edinburgh; T&T Clark, 1988
• Wagner, Karl: Kardinal Ratzinger: der Erzbischof in München und Freising in Wort und Bild. – München : Pfeiffer, 1977
• Pater Prior Maximilian Heim: Joseph Ratzinger - Kirchliche Existenz und existenzielle Theologie unter dem Anspruch von Lumen gentium (diss.).
• Herrmann, Horst: Benedikt XVI. Der neue Papst aus Deutschland. – Berlin 2005

Biographies

• Allen, John L. (2005) Pope Benedict XVI: A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0826417868
• Bardazzi, Marco (2005) In the Vineyard of the Lord : The Life, Faith, and Teachings of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XV New York: Rizzoli International. ISBN 0847828018
• Bunson, Matthew. (2005) We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI Huntington IN: Our Sunday Visitor. ISBN 1592761801
• Tobin, Greg. (2005) Holy Father : Pope Benedict XVI: Pontiff for a New Era Sterling. ISBN 1402731728

External links and references

Official

• Vatican: the Holy See – Vatican web site
• The Holy See - The Holy Father - Benedict XVI – Vatican web site about the Holy Father Benedict XVI
• Vatican: Election Vatican web page about election
• Communio magazine, founded by Ratzinger and others. Contains recent articles by him.
• Official email address: mailto:benedictxvi@vatican.va (see link 'Greetings to the Holy Father')

Biographical

• Pope Benedict XVI: BBC Profile
• Deutsche Welle Dossier on Benedict XVI
• Washington Times Analysis: Ratzinger in the ascendance
• WSWS.org - Pope Benedict XVI’s political resume: theocracy and social reaction
• The Vatican’s Enforcer – The National Catholic Reporter's 1999 Cover Story on the history of then Cardinal Ratzinger
• World War II years

The first days of his papacy

• Pope News Roundup
• American Catholic - Pope Benedict XVI Starts His Papacy
• Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez announcing Habemus Papam (We have a Pope!) (Windows Media Player Video).
• BBC audio of The Inauguration Mass of Pope Benedict XVI from Sunday 24th April

Windows Media Player is a free software media player used for playing audio and video on personal computers running Microsoft Windows. ...

General

• The Pope Benedict XVI Fan Club (see also The Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club)
• The Pope Blog: Pope Benedict XVI
• Catholic Apologetics of America
• Amici di Joseph Ratzinger (in Italian)
• Portal Papst Benedikt XVI. (in German)
• Papst News: Papst Benedikt XVI (in German)
• Ratzinger page at www.cardinalrating.com
• About his hostility toward Harry Potter books (in Italian)