- Profession: Pope
- Lived: April 16, 1927 - Present
- Nationality: German
- Known for: Advocating a return to fundamental Christian values in increasingly secular world
- Fun Fact: He was called the "main intellectual force in the Church."
- Fun Fact: He was the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so on his own initiative since Celestine V in 1294.
Pope Benedict XVI was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in 1927. He served as the Pope of the Catholic Church and the sovereign of Vatican City from 2005 to 2013. He was elected by the papal conclave in 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II. He stepped down unexpectedly in 2013 stating that he felt he lacked the strength to continue to be the Pope due to his advanced age. He was declared Pope Emeritus with the election of Pope Francis and continues to be allowed to wear papal whie as well as be referred to as His Holiness. He was best known for advocating a return of Christian values to counter increasing secularism in the West and emphasized the return of various Catholic ritual traditions such as the use of Latin.
Back to Search Results
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In