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Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265thThe precise number of popes has been a matter for scholarly debate for centuries. John A. Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary (1980) lists Pope John Paul II as 264th Pope, making Benedict XVI the 265th. and reigning Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and sovereign of Vatican City State. He was elected on April 19, 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on April 24, 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, on May 7, 2005. Pope Benedict XVI has both German and Vatican citizenship. He succeeded John Paul II, who died in the beginning of April 2005.

One of the best-known theologians since the 1960s, and a prolific author, he is viewed as a staunch defender and steadfast advocate of Catholic traditional doctrine and moral values and their importance in the survival of humanity. He is considered to be conservative and a close ally and friend of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. He served as a professor at Pope Benedict XVI/German universities affiliated with Pope Benedict XVI, and was a theological expert at the Second Vatican Council before becoming Archbishop of Munich and Freising and Cardinal. At the time of his election as Pope, he had been Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (curial heads lose their positions upon the death of a pope) and was Dean of the College of Cardinals.

During his papacy, Benedict XVI has particularly emphasized what he sees as a need for Europe to return to fundamental Christian values, in response to increasing de-Christianisation and secularisation in many developed countries. For this, he has identified relativism's denial of objective truth as the central problem of the faith and has taught about the crucial importance for the Catholic Church and humanity to contemplate God's love, and thus has reaffirmed the urgent "importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work."

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 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.

Born 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany, Benedict had a distinguished career as a university theologian before being appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising by Pope Paul VI, and very shortly afterwards made a cardinal in the consistory of June 27, 1977. He was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II in 1981 and was also assigned the honorific title of the cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian diocese of Velletri-Segni on April 5, 1993. In 1998, he became sub-dean of the College of Cardinals and on November 30, 2002, dean, adding also as is custom the title of 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.

Before becoming pope, Cardinal Ratzinger was already one of the most influential men in the Roman Curia, and was a close associate of the late John Paul II. As Dean of the College of Cardinals 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 the sede vacante period, although technically he ranked below the camerlengo in administrative authority during that time.

Like his predecessor, Benedict XVI maintains the traditional Catholic doctrines on artificial birth control, abortion, and homosexuality while promoting Catholic social teaching.

As well as his native German, Benedict fluently speaks Italian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin. He can read ancient Greek and biblical Hebrew. His best foreign language is French. 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.

Early life (1927–1951)

Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born a Roman Catholic on 16 April, Holy Saturday, 1927 at Schulstraße 11, his parents' home in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany. He was baptized the same day. He was the third and youngest child of Joseph Ratzinger, Sr., a police officer, and Maria Ratzinger (née Peintner). Pope Benedict's brother, Georg Ratzinger, a priest and former director of the Regensburger Domspatzen choir, is still alive. His sister, Maria Ratzinger, who never married, managed Cardinal Ratzinger's household until her death in 1991. The pope's relatives agree that his priestly vocation was apparent from boyhood. At the age of five, Ratzinger was in a group of children who welcomed the visiting Cardinal Archbishop of Munich with flowers. Struck by the Cardinal's distinctive costume, he later announced the very same day that he wanted to be a cardinal.

Following his fourteenth birthday in 1941, Ratzinger joined the Hitler Youth as membership was legally required after December 1936.Reichsgesetzblatt 1936 I, p. 993 (German) According to one of Ratzinger's biographers, the National Catholic Reporter correspondent John Allen, he was an unenthusiastic member who refused to attend meetings. His father was a bitter enemy of Nazism, because he believed it was in conflict with their faith. In 1941 one of Ratzinger's cousins with Down syndrome was killed by the Nazi regime. In 1943, when he was 16, Ratzinger was drafted with many of his classmates into the Luftwaffenhelfer (Air Force Auxiliary) programme. 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. He was eventually 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. Ratzinger was briefly interned in an Allied 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.

Following repatriation in 1945, the two brothers entered Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein, and then studied at the Ducal Georgianum (Herzogliches Georgianum) of the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. They were both ordained on June 29, 1951 by Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber of Munich. Joseph Ratzinger's dissertation (1953) was on Augustine, entitled "The People and the House of God in Augustine's Doctrine of the Church". His Habilitationsschrift (which qualified him for a professorship) was on Bonaventure. It was completed in 1957 and he became a professor of Freising College in 1958.

Academic career (1951–1977)

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, ecumenism and the declaration of the right to religious freedom. (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.) He was viewed during the time of the Council as a convinced reformer, in fact cooperating with radical Modernist theologians like Hans Küng and Edward Schillebeeckx. Ratzinger himself admitted he was, and partly continues to be, an admirer of Karl Rahner, a well-known academic theologian of the Nouvelle Théologie who was in favour of church reform and who himself proposed new theological ideas. In 1966, Joseph Ratzinger was appointed to a chair in dogmatic theology at the University of Tübingen, where he was a colleague of Hans Küng once again. 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, as they were too easily misinterpreted by authors who referenced this text. 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 (such as 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 theological circles.Daniel J Wakin, "Turbulence on Campus in 60's Hardened Views of Future Pope," New York Times, April 24 2005 (accessed June 8 2005) During his years at the Second Vatican Council and Tübingen University, professor Joseph Ratzinger publicized articles in the reformist theological journal Concilium, though he increasingly chose less reformist themes than the other contributors to the magazine, Hans Küng as well as Modernist theologians such as Edward Schillebeeckx.

Eventually in 1969, he returned to Bavaria, to the University of Regensburg, a less reformist academic environment.

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 a prominent journal of contemporary Catholic theological thought. Until his election as Pope, he remained one of the journal's most prolific contributors.

Cardinal and Archbishop of Munich (1977–1982)

In March 1977, Ratzinger was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising. He took as his episcopal motto Cooperatores Veritatis, co-workers of the Truth, from 3 John: 8, a choice he comments upon in his autobiographical work, Milestones.

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 fourteen remaining cardinals appointed by Paul VI, and one of only three of those under the age of 80. Of these only he and William Cardinal Baum took part in the Conclave.

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

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, the historical Inquisition. Consequently, he resigned his post at Munich in early 1982. He was promoted within the College of Cardinals to become Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni in 1993, was made the College's vice-dean in 1998 and dean in 2002.

In office, Ratzinger fulfilled his institutional role, defending and reaffirming official Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. During his period in office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith took disciplinary measures against some outspoken liberation theologians in Latin America in the 1980s.

(See also Theology of Pope Benedict XVI.)

Health

In the early 1990s Ratzinger suffered a stroke, which slightly impaired his eyesight temporarily. This was known to 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 had occurred between 2003 and 2005. France's Philippe Cardinal Barbarin further revealed that since the first stroke, Ratzinger had been suffering from a heart condition as a result of his age. Because of these health problems due to his age, and in order to have time free to write, he had hoped to retire, but had continued at his post in obedience to the wishes of Pope John Paul II."Pope has had second stroke", The Sunday Times, (London) May 1 2005.

Dialogue with Christian religions

On March 19, 2006, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney received a special invitation — to attend the elevation of Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley to cardinal at the Vatican. The trip to Rome is further evidence of a growing relationship between Romney and the local leadership of the Roman Catholic Church."This is extraordinary and particularly for someone of my faith," said Romney, a Mormon, before he spoke at a St. Patrick's Day breakfast in New Hampshire."I don't know that there's ever been a Mormon guy that's been to the Vatican for a Mass held by the pope, so it's a personal honor."Vatican invitation pleases Romney

Speaking at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square on 7 June, Pope Benedict asserted that Jesus himself had entrusted the leadership of the Church to his apostle Peter. "Peter's responsibility thus consists of guaranteeing the communion with Christ," said Pope Benedict. "Let us pray so that the primacy of Peter, entrusted to poor human beings, may always be exercised in this original sense desired by the Lord, so that it will be increasingly recognised in its true meaning by brothers who are still not in communion with us." The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Pope has a leading role among Christians because as bishop of Rome he is successor to the apostle Peter who held this office. However, Professor Fulvio Ferrario of the Protestant Waldensian theological faculty in Rome insisted that the idea of such a "Petrine succession" was "completely alien" to the New Testament. "Recent biblical research acknowledges that Peter had a special role among the group of disciples," Ferrario told the Italian Protestant news agency NEV. "But this concerns Peter, not Benedict XVI." He added, "The papacy risks becoming a factor of division more than of unity, something that ecumenical dialogue has to take into account." The role of the Roman Catholic papacy remains a source of controversy, not only for Protestant denominations but also for Eastern Orthodox churches and members of the Restorationism movement, which does not accept the dogmas of the First Vatican Council.Benedict's call on papacy will increase divisions, says Italian Protestant

The bishops of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople have expressed concern over Pope Benedict XVI's decision to drop "patriarch of the West" from his official titles in the Vatican yearbook. In a June 8, 2006 statement, the chief secretary of the Orthodox bishops' synod said dropping "patriarch of the West" while retaining the titles "vicar of Jesus Christ" and "supreme pontiff of the universal church" is "perceived as implying a universal jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome over the entire church, which is something the Orthodox have never accepted." The statement was issued after synod members discussed the change during their early June meeting. Dropping the title of patriarch in reference to the pope does not minimize the importance of the patriarchal office, particularly in relation to the ancient Eastern churches, said Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, in a March statement. "Even less can this suppression be seen as implying new claims" of power or authority on the part of the Vatican, he said. However, members of the Orthodox synod disagreed. From their point of view, "the geographical limits of each ecclesiastical jurisdiction" have been a key part of the structure of the church from the earliest days of Christianity. The church as a whole is "a unity of full local churches" and not a monolith divided into local units simply for the sake of easier governance. The Orthodox synod's statement said that, with the international Catholic-Orthodox theological dialogue set to begin again in September with plans to deal with the "thorny problem" of papal primacy, it would have been better not to have dropped the title without consultation.Orthodox express concern about dropping 'patriarch of the West' title

A leading Ukrainian Orthodox spokesman has said that a visit to Ukraine by Pope Benedict XVI would be "untimely," according to the country's RISU news service. "If Pope Benedict is a moral and a spiritual person and wants only good for Ukraine and its people, he will never take such an unreasonable step," said Valentyn Lukianyk, the head of the Union of Orthodox Brotherhoods of Ukraine. He was responding to the news that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has invited the Pope to visit the country. There have been numerous clashes between Orthodox and Catholic believers over the ownership of parish properties that were confiscated by the Communists and handed over to Orthodox clerics. At the same time, Orthodox leaders have complained that Catholics are engaged in "proselytism," seeking converts among Orthodox believers. In his statement opposing a papal visit, Lukianyk said that relations between Catholics and Orthodox in Ukraine are now "warming." A visit by Pope Benedict, he said, would place an undue burden on those sensitive ties.Ukrainian Orthodox spokesman opposes papal visit

Dialogue with Orthodox Christianity and non-Christian religions

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 surprised some who mistakenly believed that the Catholic Church had previously repudiated its unique role in the world.Justin Sparks, and John Follain, "Nazi link may dog favourite," The Australian, April 18 2005.

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.

Addressing the question that one religion is as 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."

The deliberate omission of the "filioque" clause ("and the Son") in the first paragraph is seen as an outreach to the Greek Orthodox Church which has been in conflict with the Latin Catholic Church over its addition to the Nicene Creed for about one thousand years."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.

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:

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. "Election of Cardinal Ratzinger as new Pope welcomed," World Jewish Congress, April 19 2005.

The Dalai Lama congratulated Pope Benedict XVI upon his election. "His Holiness the Dalai Lama Greets New Pope," Phayul.com, April 20 2005; Korean Catholics Welcome New Pontiff," english.chosun.com, April 20 2005.

In an interview in 2004 for Le Figaro magazine, Ratzinger said that Turkey, a country Muslim by heritage and population, but staunchly secularist by its state constitution, should seek its future in an association of Islamic nations rather than the European Union, 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.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.

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. 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.

Dialogue with Islam

The head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interfaith Dialogue said on March 26, 2006 that wars against Iraq should not be viewed as crusades launched by Christian countries against Muslims, and that "Western" was not synonymous to "Christian". "Pope Benedict XVI, like his predecessor John Paul II, never ceases to say this and show it by his acts, such as opposition to armed intervention in Iraq." He said that the church is not "western", but "catholic".Islam-Online.net - Church is 'Catholic', not 'western'

The Pope strongly condemned the Mohammed cartoons, first published by a Danish newspaper and later in other European papers. "In the international context we are living at present, the Catholic Church continues convinced [sic. that, to foster peace and understanding between peoples and men, it is necessary and urgent that religions and their symbols be respected," the Pope said. The Holy Father added that this implies that "believers not be the object of provocations that wound their lives and religious sentiments." Benedict XVI noted that "for believers, as for all people of good will, the only path that can lead to peace and fraternity is respect for the convictions and religious practices of others."Cartoons - Respect for religious practice of others

On April 16, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI, in his first Easter message, called for a peaceful solution in the nuclear standoff with Iran. He said: "Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honorable solution be found for all parties through serious and honest negotiations." He also called for the establishment of a Palestinian state. He said: "May the international community, which re-affirms Israel's just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving towards the constitution of a state that is truly their own."The Australian - Establishment of Palestinian State

Pope Benedict XVI condemns pre-emptive war. It is the pope's view that the invasion of Iraq "has no moral justification." As a cardinal, Benedict was critical about President George W. Bush's choice of sending an army into the heart of Islam to impose democracy. "The damage would be greater than the values one hopes to save," he concluded. He also said that "The concept of preventive war does not appear in The Catechism of the Catholic Church."Condemnation of preventive war

Pope Benedict XVI has called for Christians "to open their arms and hearts" to Muslim immigrants and "to dialogue" with them on religious issues. The pope told participants that the Catholic Church is "increasingly aware" that "interreligious dialogue is a part of its commitment to the service of humanity in the modern world." In fact, this "conviction" has become "the daily bread" of those who work with migrants, refugees and itinerant peoples, he said. Pope Benedict described this dialogue between Christians and Muslims as "important and delicate." Many communities have experienced this, he said, as they worked "to build relations of mutual knowledge and respect with (Muslim) immigrants, which are extremely useful in overcoming prejudices and closed minds." For this reason, he added, Christians "are called to open their arms and hearts to everyone, whatever their country of origin, leaving the task of formulating appropriate laws for the promotion of healthy existence to the authorities responsible for public life."Open arms to Muslim immigrants

On June 3, 2006, Tony Blair had a private audience with pontiff Benedict XVI at the Vatican at the end of a week-long trip to Italy. The Pope told the prime minister to pursue diplomatic solutions to problems in the Middle East, including Iran. A Vatican spokesman said: "The Pope did stress that diplomacy and not conflict was the best way forward." Furthermore the two leaders discussed how "moderate voices" from the world's main religions need to work together to tackle extremism and reduce the risk of terrorism, according to Number 10.Pope warns Blair against Iran attack

On June 14, 2006, - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday urged Israelis and Palestinians to return to negotiations after the "increasingly blind" tit-for-tat violence of recent days .The Vatican said in a statement that the pope felt close to the innocent victims of such violence and that the Holy Land had become "hostage to those who delude themselves they can solve the ever more dramatic problems of the region by force or unilateral action".The Vatican appealed to both sides "to show due respect for human life, especially that of unarmed civilians and children".In its statement, the Vatican urged the resumption "with courage of the path of negotiations, the only one that can lead to the just and lasting peace we all aspire to". It also urged the international community to "rapidly activate" funds for humanitarian aid to Palestinians .Vatican: Pope urges Mideast talks

On June 23, 2006,- Pope Benedict XVI called for 'serene and peaceful coexistence' in the Middle East. Referring to the community of Eastern Catholic Churches in the Holy Land, the Pope recalled how "the serious difficulties it is going though because of profound insecurity, lack of work, innumerable restrictions and consequent growing poverty, are a cause of pain for us all".In order to face these serious problems, Pope Benedict went on,"I invite pastors, faithful, and everyone in positions of responsibility in the civil community, to favour mutual respect between cultures and religions, and to create as soon as possible the conditions for serene and peaceful coexistence throughout the Middle East."Pope calls for 'serene and peaceful coexistence' in Middle East

On July 14, 2006, The Vatican strongly deplored Israel's strikes on Lebanon, saying they were "an attack" on a sovereign and free nation. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano said Pope Benedict and his aides were very worried that the developments in the Middle East risked degenerating into "a conflict with international repercussions." "In particular, the Holy See deplores right now the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation, and assures its closeness to these people who already have suffered so much to defend their independence," he told Vatican Radio.Vatican condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon

On July 16, 2006,The Pope prayed that God grant “the fundamental gift of harmony, bringing political leaders back on the path of reason and opening new possibilities for dialogue and understanding.”“In these days, the news from the Holy Land are all cause for new, grave worry, in particular, the widening of belligerent actions even in Lebanon, and for the numerous victims among the civilian population,” Benedict told a gathering of pilgrims. “At the origin of these merciless conflicts are, unfortunately, objective situations of violation of rights and of justice,” the pontiff said.“But neither terrorist acts nor retaliation, above all when there are tragic consequences for the civilian population, can be justified,” Benedict said.“Going down such roads – bitter experience has shown – does not bring positive results.”Pope urges talks in Lebanon conflict

Ratzinger and Fatima

Until her death, Lúcia dos Santos, the last surviving of the three Fatima visionaries, was forbidden to discuss the Fatima revelations publicly unless given leave by Cardinal Ratzinger. He was one of seven people known to have read the actual Third Message put into writing in 1944, and was the author of the Theological Commentary on the Third Message, published with the message itself in 2000.

In 1984, an interview with Ratzinger was published in the Pauline Sisters newsletter and states that the message 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, although several statements were omitted.

In October 1987 he stated that "the things contained in * 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".

In 1997, Ratzinger and Capovilla publicly denied a rumor that the Third Message was being withheld for fears it would condemn the changes of the Vatican II council.

On June 26 2000, following the release of the text of the prophecy, Ratzinger issued a statement that the third and final chapter of Mary's prophecy had been fulfilled in 1981 in a failed attempt on Pope John Paul's life. 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." Yet some Catholics continue to hold the opinion that unpleasant content was deliberately kept away from the public in the June 2000 release of the text.

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 II. Jamie Doward, "The Pope, the letter and the child sex claim," The Guardian, April 24 2005.

As part of the implementation of the norms enacted and promulgated Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela, The Vatican, April 30 2001. on April 30 2001 by Pope John Paul II, on May 18, 2001 Ratzinger sent a letter 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. 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." 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. Lawyers acting for two alleged victims of abuse in Texas claim that by sending the letter the cardinal conspired to obstruct justice. Jamie Doward, "Pope 'obstructed' sex abuse inquiry," The Guardian, April 24 2005. The letter did not discourage victims from reporting the abuse itself to the police. The secrecy is related to the internal investigation of the alleged crime. 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." "Signs of the Times: Doctrinal Congregation Takes Over Priestly Pedophilia Cases", Catholic News Service, December 17 2001. 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 Acta Apostolicae Sedis 93 (2001): 737–39, 785–88. which, in accordance with the Code of Canon Law Code of Canon Law: Canon 8, §1, The Vatican., is the Holy See's official journal, disseminated monthly to thousands of libraries and offices around the world. CanonLaw.info, April 29 2005 update to Much Ado About Nothing by Dr Edward Peters, JCD, JD

In 2002, Ratzinger told the Catholic News Service that "less than one percent of priests are guilty of acts of this type." "Cardinal Ratzinger ... Sees Agenda Behind the Reporting in U.S.," Zenit News Agency, December 3 2002. 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. Vatican Transcript of Meditation on the Ninth Station of the Cross, The Vatican. See note 8 above. 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. See note 8 above.

Papacy

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. While Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger repeatedly stated he would like to retire to a Bavarian village and dedicate himself to writing books, but prior to the death of John Paul II, he told friends he was "ready to accept any charge God placed on him."

Piers Paul Read wrote in The Spectator on March 5, 2005:

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."

Though Ratzinger was increasingly considered the front runner by much of the international media, others maintained that his election was far from certain since very few papal predictions in modern history had come true. The elections of both John Paul II and his predecessor, John Paul I had been rather unexpected. Despite being the favourite (or perhaps because he was the favourite), it was a surprise to many that he was actually elected.

Election

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, the most important German pope of the Middle Ages, known for instituting major reforms during his pontificate.

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." http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/25/pope.monday/ Quote from a CNN Interview, April 25 2005.

Before his first appearance at the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica after becoming pope, he was announced by the Jorge Cardinal Medina Estévez, 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 with the traditional Habemus Papam announcement in Latin.

At the balcony, Benedict's first words to the crowd, given in Italian before he gave the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing in Latin, were:

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.
(Official translation taken from www.vatican.va).

He then gave the blessing to the people.

On April 24, he was inaugurated in St. Peters, formally becoming the 265th pope by the official Vatican reckoning. Then, on May 7, he was enthroned in a mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Choice of name

The choice of the regnal 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 why he chose the name:
"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!" Pope Benedict XVI's General Audience Speech, The Vatican, April 27 2005.

Early days of papacy

Pope Benedict 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 began using an open popemobile, saying that he wanted to be closer to the people.

Benedict's coat of arms has officially omitted the papal tiara, traditionally appearing in the background to designate the Pope's position, and replaced it with a simplex mitre.Coat of Arms of His Holiness Benedict XVI, The Vatican. 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.

During his inaugural Mass, the previous custom of all the cardinals submitting was replaced by having twelve 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 earlier practice of delegating the celebration of the beatification liturgies.

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 main points of emphasis of his teachings are stated in more detail in Theology of Pope Benedict XVI.

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" Vatican.va - Homily on Christ.

"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 Address to the priests of Rome, to the cardinals in the pre-conclave, a key public address to the Church's top leaders Address to cardinals pre-conclave, and to 150,000 people among whom were children going to their First Communion. Address to the public He also said: "We are all called to open ourselves to this friendship with God... speaking to him as to a friend, the only One who can make the world both good and happy... (T)hat all we have to do is put ourselves at his disposal...is an extremely important message. It is a message that helps to overcome what can be considered the great temptation of our time: the claim, that after the Big Bang, God withdrew from history." L'Osservatore Romano (9 October 2002) "St. Josemaría Escrivá and Opus Dei: God is very much at work in our world today".

He took this theme up again in his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est. In his personal explanation and summary of the encyclical, he stated: "If friendship with God becomes for us something ever more important and decisive, then we will begin to love those whom God loves and who are in need of us. God wants us to be friends of his friends and we can be so, if we are interiorly close to them." Address on Friendship with God Thus, he said that prayer is "urgently needed...It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work."

Combatting a "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": Address on Dictatorship of relativism the world "moving towards a dictatorship of relativism", Dicatorship of relativism on June 6 2005 he also said:

"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 ego"

He also traced the failed revolutions and violent ideologies of the twentieth 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.

Christianity as the Religion according to Reason

In the discussion with secularism and rationalism, one of Benedict's basic ideas can be found in his address on the "Crisis of Culture" in the West, a day before Pope John Paul II died, when he referred to Christianity as the Religion of the Word (in the original Greek, Logos, reason, meaning, intelligence).

"From the beginning, Christianity has understood itself as the religion of the Logos, as the religion according to reason...It has always defined men, all men without distinction, as creatures and images of God, proclaiming for them...the same dignity. In this connection, the Enlightenment is of Christian origin and it is no accident that it was born precisely and exclusively in the realm of the Christian faith....It was and is the merit of the Enlightenment to have again proposed these original values of Christianity and of having given back to reason its own voice... Today, this should be precisely philosophical strength, in so far as the problem is whether the world comes from the irrational, and reason is not other than a 'sub-product,' on occasion even harmful of its development -- or whether the world comes from reason, and is, as a consequence, its criterion and goal...In the so necessary dialogue between secularists and Catholics, we Christians must be very careful to remain faithful to this fundamental line: to live a faith that comes from the Logos'', from creative reason, and that, because of this, is also open to all that is truly rational." [http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=74864 Address on Christianity as the Religon according to Reason

Benedict thus endorses creative reason, manifested in the crucified God as love, which contrasts with the strict rationality of the Enlightenment.

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:

"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."Nicole Winfield, "Pope Benedict XVI condemns same-sex unions," The Guardian, June 6 2005.

This has drawn sharp criticism from Catholic gay rights advocates like journalist Andrew Sullivan, who claim that Benedict is espousing a form of fundamentalist edict and is opposed to external questioning of his doctrines. Supporters of the Pope argue that traditional Catholic Church teachings hold homosexual acts (not merely being a homosexual) as intrinsically disordered and sinful, and that Benedict XVI is simply being loyal to these teachings.

Curial appointments

Since their terms had ended on the death of the previous pope, Benedict reappointed after his election all former senior officers of the Roman Curia, though most only in a provisional manner. This assured an easy transition into a new pontificate. The principal political officer, the Cardinal Secretary of State (often likened to the pope's Prime Minister), remains Angelo Cardinal Sodano, an Italian. Benedict's first major new appointment was that of his successor as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. On May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI appointed William Cardinal Levada, Archbishop of San Francisco in the United States of America. Though elements of the press have chosen to present Levada as a staunch conservative for his involvement with the drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, his private views and public policies have not been entirely clear. Subsequent to the new appointment Levada relinquished, as is customary, his see in San Francisco on August 17, 2005 and was made a Cardinal in the consistory of 24 March 2006. This appointment was followed by another whose importance has largely escaped the notice of the press, namely that of Archbishop Malcom Ranjith as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. It has never been a secret that Joseph Ratzinger has had a lifelong special interest in the Church's liturgy, which is the chief business of the Congregation for Divine Worship, though limited to the Western Church. Archbishop Ranjith replaced Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, recently appointed Bishop of Assisi. While Archbishop Sorrentino had undoubtedly been a personal theological opponent of Joseph Ratzinger, he had nothing like the same personal weight. The reason for his removal seems to have been rather organizational incapacity in a vital department and somewhat zany behavior. His replacement is known to be a traditional Catholic who has long been close to the positions of Joseph Ratzinger.

Beatifications

On 9 May 2005 Benedict XVI began the beatification process for his predecessor, John Paul II. Normally five years must pass after a person's death, before the beatification process can begin. However, in an audience with Pope Benedict, Camillo Cardinal Ruini cited "exceptional circumstances" which suggested that the waiting period could be waived. As Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Ruini is responsible for promoting the cause for canonisation of any person who dies within that diocese. In all other dioceses it would be the Bishop himself. The "exceptional circumstances" presumably refer to the cries of "Santo subito!" ("Saint now!") during the late pontiff's funeral. Therefore the new Pope waived the five year rule "so that the cause of Beatification and Canonization of the same Servant of God can begin immediately."Vatican.va - Canonisation of Pope John Paul II The decision was announced on 13 May2005, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and the 24th anniversary of the attempt on John Paul's lifeCanonisation process. John Paul often credited Our Lady of Fatima for preserving him on that day. Cardinal Ruini inaugurated the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification in the Lateran Basilica on 28 June 2005.Inaguration of beatification process

The first beatification under the new Pope was celebrated on May 14, 2005 by José Cardinal Saraiva Martins. The new Blesseds were Mother Marianne Cope and Mother Ascensión Nicol Goñi.

Unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI delegated the beatification liturgical service to a Cardinal. On 29 September 2005 the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued a communiqué - Communiqué on beatification process announcing that henceforth beatifications would be celebrated by a representative of the Pope, usually the Prefect of that Congregation.

Canonizations

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his first Canonizations on October 23, 2005 in St. Peter's Square when he canonized Josef Bilczewski, Alberto Hurtado SJ and three others. The canonizations were part of a Mass that marked the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops and the Year of the EucharistFirst Canonizations.

Revival of traditional papal clothing

Pope Benedict XVI has been using papal clothing which had previously fallen into disuse. During his installment address, he spoke at length about the significance of one item of vestiture: the pallium (the pope wore an ancient version used by first millennium pontiffs). He has also worn the red satin mozzetta and its ermine-trimmed winter version that has not been seen since Pope Paul VI. His house cassock (his soutane or cassock with shoulder cape) also includes the upper half-sleeves discontinued for all other clerics by the authority of Paul VI's motu proprio "Pontificalis Domus" of 1968.

Pope Benedict XVI has also continued the use of the red papal outdoor cloak. On December 21, 2005, the pope began wearing the camauro for his general audiences; the traditional papal hat had not been seen since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII (1958 - 1963).

One item of clothing that Benedict has not worn to date is the papal tiara. Like his two immediate predecessors, Benedict chose not to be crowned with the tiara during his Inauguration Mass, nor has he worn it since that time. Other traditional items unused by the pope include the vestmental gloves, known as gauntlets.

Apostolic journeys

  • Italy (May 29, 2005): Pope Benedict visited the Italian port of Bari and pledged to make the reconciliation with the Eastern 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 fourth century saint and the prototype of "Santa Claus," who is one of the most popular saints in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The Pope referred to Bari as a "land of meeting and dialog" 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.
  • Germany (August 18 to August 21, 2005): The Pope arrived in Germany on August 18 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, which is the oldest Jewish community in the world north of the Alps. Benedict and his immediate predecessor John Paul II are the only two popes since St. Peter known to have visited a synagogue. He also spoke with representatives of the Muslim and Protestant communities of Cologne. On August 21, he led a Mass at Marienfeld.
  • Poland (May 25 to May 28, 2006): The Pope began his visit just after 11 a.m. on May 25, landing at the Okęcie Military Airport in Warsaw. Throughout his visit, he often spoke Polish, although he has just recently started learning the language. After a welcoming ceremony, Benedict drove in his pope-mobile to the Warsaw archcathedral, where he met and addressed a thousand clergymen. He also paid an official visit to the Presidential Palace and later in the day attended a meeting of leaders of various religions. The Pope celebrated an open-air Mass on Piłsudski Square in Warsaw on May 26, visited the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa and arrived in Kraków. On May 27 the pontiff went to Wadowice, the birthplace of his predecessor, the sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki and the Wawel Cathedral and addressed young people gathered at Błonia park in Kraków. On the last day of his visit on Sunday May 27, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at Błonia for about 900,000 pilgrims, and later that day briefly prayed at the former National Socialist concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
  • Spain (July 8 to July 9, 2006): Pope Benedict visited Spain the request of King Juan Carlos and the country's Catholic bishops, He visited Valencia, for the Fifth World Meeting of Families. The closing mass was held on the 9th at the City of Arts and Sciences in the city. The Archbishop of Valencia, Agustin Garcia-Gasco also presided in the service and made a major address to the Pope and the gathering crowds.* Though many attended the solemn Papal mass, it was said that the crowd was much smaller than expected.

Future journeys

Germany: The Pope will visit Munich, Altötting and Regensburg, all in his home state Bavaria, September 9-September 14, 2006.
Turkey: Despite the recent turmoil with the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy and the murder of Father Andrea Santoro, Pope Benedict will visit Turkey in November 2006 at the request of Patriarch Bartholomew I.
Israel: There are rumors that the Pope will visit the Holy Land early in 2007 celebrating the Peace Day. *
United States: The Archbishop of Baltimore, Cardinal William Keeler, has announced that the Pope is likely to visit in the year 2007. He may visit in October, but others say he may visit as early as May. If he should visit in October, his visit will coincide with the annual session of the UN General Assembly which the Pope is likely to address. Due to his commitment in visiting different parts of Europe he is unable to visit the United States in the year 2006.
Brazil: The Pope has plans to visit Latin America in May 2007. He has plans to visit Aparecida, Brazil, in order to address the Latin American Bishops' Conference. This will add to his many visits to non-European countries in the year 2007.
Austria and Romania: The Pope has plans as well to visit Mariazell, Austria in September 2007. During this visit he will go for three hours in Sibiu, Romania where will attend the Ecumenical International Meeting.
China: The Pope announced on March 28, 2006 to a Hong Kong delegation that he plans to visit China but said that the timing was "Up to the will of God."
Canada: The Pope will probably visit Canada in June 2008 for the 49th Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City.
United Kingdom: The Pope has been officially invited by the Catholic Bishop's Conference of England and Wales to visit Britain. However, such a visit is unlikely to coincide with the 25th anniversary of John Paul II's visit in 1982.
Australia: On the final day of World Youth Day celebrations in Cologne, the Pope announced that the location for the next WYD would be Sydney, Australia. To be held between the 15th and 20th of July 2008, it will be his first visit to the country.
Puerto Rico: Archbishop of San Juan Roberto González Nieves has announced that the Pope has been invited to visit Puerto Rico in 2011 for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of San Juan.

Encyclicals

No.   Title   Translation   Subject   Date
1.   Deus Caritas Est   God is Love   Christian love   December 25, 2005

Pastoral activities

On 8 January 2006, Pope Benedict continued the tradition of his predecessor John Paul II and baptised several infants in the Sistine Chapel, in his pastoral role as Bishop of Rome.

Titles

The following are official titles of the Pope: His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, In Latin- Benedictus Papa XVI, Episcopus Romae. However his formal title is "Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God." This full title is however rarely used. Starting from 1870, "Patriarch of the West" was also one of the pope's formal titles, but on 1 March, 2006 the Vatican announced that it would no longer be used.

The title "Patriarch of the West", traditionally appeared in that list of titles before "Primate of Italy," has rarely been employed since the East-West Schism of 1054. The title of "Patriarch of the West" was first adopted in the year 642 by Pope Theodore I. From the Orthodox perspective, authority in the Church could be traced to the five original patriarchates of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. However, some Catholic theologians have argued that the term "Patriarch of the West" has no clear historical or theological basis and was introduced into papal court in 1870, at the time of the First Vatican Council. Pope Benedict chose to remove the title at a time when discussions with the Orthodox churches have centered on the issue of papal primacy. Pope John Paul II reportedly considered dropping the title during his own pontificate, which had also emphasised this service to the universal Church.

Political positions

On May 24, 2006, the Pope has rebuked Australia for the "painful" social plight of Aborigines, and urged people to seek their forgiveness. He told the new ambassador to the Holy See, Anne Plunkett, that Australians needed to match their reputation as international peace-brokers with a determination for justice on their own soil. "In regard to the Aboriginal people of your land, there is still much to be achieved," he told Ms Plunkett. "Their social situation is cause for much pain. I encourage you and the Government to continue to address with compassion and determination the deep underlying cause of their plight." Benedict XVI - who will visit Sydney for Catholic World Youth Day in 2008 - said lasting reconciliation could be achieved through the "healing process" of forgiveness. Pope makes plea for Aborigines

On May 26, 2006, In what some observers saw as an allusion to the controversy over the novel Da Vinci Code, Pope Benedict XVI urged Roman Catholics on Friday to reject those who “falsify the Word of Christ.”Addressing a huge open-air mass in central Warsaw on the second day of his visit to Poland, the pontiff used his homily (or sermon) to warn against the temptation of doctoring what he said were Biblical truths. “As in past centuries, so today there are people or groups who seek to falsify the Word of Christ and to remove from the Gospel those truths which in their view are too uncomfortable for modern man,” he said. In US author Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code, now a blockbuster movie, Jesus is said to have fathered a daughter with Mary Magdalene whose bloodline continues to this day.Position of Pope on Da Vinci Code

On June 14, 2006, - At the end of the General Audience, Benedetto XVI has greeted Hans Blix, former chief UN weapons inspector sent in Iraq to assess the presence of mass destruction weapons. The brief but friendly interview has taken place on St. Peter's square in the Vatican. The Pope has talked for a few minutes to Blix, who has given him two books.POPE GREETS HANS BLIX, FORMER CHIEF UN INSPECTOR IN IRAQ

After reciting the midday Angelus prayer June 18,2006, the pope spoke about the United Nations' June 20 celebration of World Refugee Day.Pope Benedict said the annual event is an effort to "draw the attention of the international community to the condition of many people who are forced to flee their own lands because of serious forms of violence.""These brothers and sisters of ours seek refuge in other countries with the hope of being able to return to their homes or, at least, of finding hospitality where they have sought refuge," the pope said.While offering his prayers for refugees, he also called on Catholic communities and organizations to offer them concrete help and on the international community to do more to ensure respect for the human rights of refugees.Pope offers prayers to refugees for United Nations' World Refugee Day

June 28, 2006, For the first time in more than five years, an official Vatican delegation is visiting China and meeting with government officials, experts here said Wednesday, signaling a warming between two parties that have been locked in conflict in recent months."This is a real gesture by the Vatican and its diplomats," said the Reverend Bernardo Cervellera, director of AsiaNews, a Catholic missionary news service with close links to the Vatican that first reported the meeting.In sending diplomats to Beijing, the Vatican, under Pope Benedict XVI, is publicly expressing interest in improving relations with China despite the recent conflicts, experts in Rome said.Beijing receives Vatican delegation, signaling a thaw

Response to AIDS

It has been reported in April 2006 that the Pope has launched a commission to investigate and prepare a document with regards to the question if there are any cases when a married person may use condoms to protect against infection from their spouse. Though no conclusions have been reached, the investigation has surprised many Catholics in the wake of John Paul II's consistent refusal to reconsider the issue of contraception in response to AIDS and the belief that his successor shared this viewProtection against AIDS. Time Magazine reported in its May 8th, 2006 edition that the Vatican's position remains unchangedTime article on AIDS protection investigation. In November 2005 the Pope listed several ways to combat the spread of HIV, including chastity, fidelity in marriage and anti-poverty efforts. He did not, however, mention condoms.

Trivia

  • Pope Benedict XVI was given a 2 GB iPod nano, and is the first Pope to own an iPod.
  • Pope Benedict XVI was featured in the episode of South Park Bloody Mary.
  • Pope Benedict XVI had been living before his election in Borgo Pio, in the rione of Borgo, a few hundred meters from Vatican.
(Note on numbering: Pope Benedict X is now considered an anti-pope. At the time however, this fact was not recognized and so the tenth true Pope Benedict took the official number XI. This caused the true fifteenth Pope Benedict to take the number XVI. This has advanced the numbering of all subsequent Popes Benedict by one. Popes Benedict XI-XVI are really the tenth through fifteenth popes by that name.

See also

References

Footnotes

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. The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church. NY: Doubleday, 2005. ISBN 0385513208.
  • Allen, John L. Pope Benedict XVI: A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. ISBN 0826417868. This is a reprint of Allen's 2000 book Cardinal Ratzinger: the Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith, reprinted without Allen's permission.
  • Bardazzi, Marco. In the Vineyard of the Lord : The Life, Faith, and Teachings of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. New York: Rizzoli International, 2005. ISBN 0847828018
  • Bunson, Matthew. We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor. ISBN 1592761801.
  • Tobin, Greg. Holy Father : Pope Benedict XVI: Pontiff for a New Era. Sterling, 2005. ISBN 1402731728.

External links and references

Official

Biographical

The first year of his papacy

The first days of his papacy

The Pope and the Second Vatican Council

General

Criticism of the Pope

1927 births | Current national leaders | German popes | German theologians | Living people | Members of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | Natives of Bavaria | Pope Benedict XVI | Popes | Prisoners of war | Reigning monarchs | Roman Catholic theologians

Pous Benedictus XVI | بينيدكت السادس عشر | Benedictu XVI | Benedictus 16-sè | Бэнэдыкт XVI (папа рымскі) | Benedikt XVI. | Бенедикт XVI | Benet XVI | Benedikt XVI. | Pab Benedict XVI | Pave Benedikt 16. | Baapscht Benedict XVI | Benedikt XVI. | Benedictus XVI | Πάπας Βενέδικτος ΙΣΤ' | Benedicto XVI | Benedikto la 16-a | Benedikto XVI.a | Benadikt XVI | Benoît XVI | Pape Benedet XVI | Pápa Beinidict XVI | Bieito XVI, Papa | 교황 베네딕토 16세 | जोज़फ़ रैत्सिंगर | Benedikt XVI. | Benedictus 16ma | Papa Benedicto XVI | Paus Benediktus XVI | Benedikt XVI | Papa Benedetto XVI | בנדיקטוס השישה עשר | ბენედიქტე XVI | Benedictus XVI | Benoît XVI. (Poopst) | Benediktas XVI | Benedictus XVI | Pápa Benwa XVI | XVI. Benedek pápa | Бенедикт XVI | Paus Benedict XVI | Папа Бенедикт ал XVI-ля | Paus Benedictus XVI | ベネディクト16世 (ローマ教皇) | Papa Benedetto XVI | Benedikt XVI | Pave Benedikt XVI | Benedikt XVI. | Benedykt XVI | Papa Bento XVI | Papa Benedict al XVI-lea | Бенедикт XVI (папа римский) | Papa Benedicto XVI | Pape Benedict XVI | Binidittu XVI | Pope Benedict XVI | Benedikt XVI. | Papež Benedikt XVI. | Папа Бенедикт XVI | Benedikt XVI | Benedictus XVI | Benedictus XVI | Papa Benedicto XVI | போப் பெனடிக்ட் XVI | สมเด็จพระสันตะปาปาเบเนดิกต์ที่ 16 | Benedict XVI | Benedict XVI | XVI. Benedikt | Бенедикт XVI | 本篤十六世

 

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