Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Ratzinger, led the Catholic Church from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. He was the first pope in nearly six centuries to resign.

Pope John Paul II: The pope who led the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005 and appointed Joseph Ratzinger prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Ratzinger served as his doctrinal prefect for more than two decades before succeeding him.
Marktl: A town in Bavaria, Germany, where Joseph Ratzinger was born in 1927. It was the birthplace of the future pope.
Papal conclave: A secret gathering of eligible cardinals who elect a pope. Cardinals elected Ratzinger pope on 19 April 2005.
Deus caritas est: Benedict XVI’s 2005 encyclical on Christian love, charity, and the relationship between eros and agape. It was the first encyclical of his papacy and set out a central theme of his teaching.
Pope Celestine V: A pope who resigned in 1294 after a short pontificate. His resignation was the clearest historical precedent Benedict invoked for leaving office.
Pope Francis: The pope who succeeded Benedict XVI in 2013 and led the Catholic Church until 2025. His election ended the unusual period in which a reigning pope and a former pope both lived in the Vatican.
Nazi Germany: The German state under Adolf Hitler from 1933 to 1945, governed by the Nazi Party. Ratzinger’s youth and brief compulsory service in the Hitler Youth unfolded under Nazi rule.
Papal resignation: The formal renunciation of the office of pope, which takes effect under conditions set by canon law. Benedict announced his resignation in 2013 and left office on 28 February.
Regensburg lecture: A 2006 lecture by Benedict XVI on faith, reason, and religious violence, delivered at the University of Regensburg. Its quotation about Islam prompted international criticism and diplomatic protests.
Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse cases: Cases of sexual abuse by clergy and institutional failures to protect victims within the Roman Catholic Church. Benedict’s record includes actions against clerical abusers and criticism over the Church’s response.

Linked from 11 pages