Pope Benedict XVI

Overview

Pope 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 ninth German pope, the last being the Dutch-German Adrian VI (1522–1523). The last pope named Benedict was Benedict XV, an Italian who reigned from 1914 to 1922, during World War I.

Related Topics:
Elected pope - Oldest person to have been elected pope - Clement XII - 1730 - Cardinal - Benedict XIII - 1724 - Adrian VI - 1522 - 1523 - Benedict XV - 1914 - 1922 - World War I

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Ratzinger was born in Bavaria, Germany. He had a distinguished career as a university theologian before being made the archbishop of Munich and Freising; 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.

Related Topics:
Bavaria - Germany - Theologian - Archbishop - Munich and Freising - Pope Paul VI - Consistory - June 27 - 1977 - Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - Pope John Paul II - 1981 - Cardinal bishop - Suburbicarian diocese - Velletri - Segni - April 5 - 1993 - 1998 - College of Cardinals - November 30 - 2002 - Ostia - Paul IV - 1555 - Pius VIII - 1829

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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.

Related Topics:
Funeral of John Paul II - Sede vacante - Camerlengo

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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.

Related Topics:
Birth control - Abortion - Homosexuality - Catholic social teaching

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Benedict speaks German, Italian and French fluently, and English, Spanish and Latin slightly less fluently. 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.

Related Topics:
German - Italian - French - English - Spanish - Latin - Ancient Greek - Hebrew - Académie des sciences morales et politiques - Piano - Mozart - Beethoven

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