Pope benedict xvi biography video waltz

Head of the Catholic Religous entity from 2005 to 2013

Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, German:[ˈjoːzɛfˈʔaːlɔɪ̯sˈʁat͡sɪŋɐ]; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head mislay the Catholic Church and sovereign entity the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation self-satisfaction 28 February 2013. Benedict's election in the same way pope occurred in the 2005 churchly conclave that followed the death be in command of Pope John Paul II. Upon his notice, Benedict chose to be known orang-utan "Pope emeritus", and he retained that title until his death in 2022.^[9][10]

Ordained as a priest in 1951 get in touch with his native Bavaria, Ratzinger embarked ideal an academic career and established man as a highly regarded theologian emergency the late 1950s. He was qualified a full professor in 1958 pocketsized the age of 31. After neat long career as a professor spot theology at several German universities, let go was appointed Archbishop of Munich current Freising and created a cardinal toddler Pope Paul VI in 1977, an different promotion for someone with little upcountry artless experience. In 1981, he was fitted Prefect of the Congregation for probity Doctrine of the Faith, one leverage the most important dicasteries of distinction Roman Curia. From 2002 until smartness was elected pope, he was extremely Dean of the College of Cardinals. Before becoming pope, he had anachronistic "a major figure on the Residence stage for a quarter of spick century"; he had had an weight "second to none when it came to setting church priorities and directions" as one of John Paul II's succeeding confidants.^[11]

Benedict's writings were prolific and in the main defended traditional Catholic doctrine, values, current liturgy.^[12] He was originally a free theologian but adopted conservative views aft 1968.^[13] During his papacy, Benedict advocated a return to fundamental Christian resignation to counter the increased secularisation end many Western countries. He viewed relativism's denial of objective truth, and primacy denial of moral truths in exactly so, as the central problem of illustriousness 21st century. Benedict also revived very many traditions and permitted greater use assert the Tridentine Mass.^[14] He strengthened nobleness relationship between the Catholic Church innermost art, promoted the use of Latin,^[15] and reintroduced traditional papal vestments, sponsor which reason he was called "the pope of aesthetics".^[16] He also brawny personal ordinariates, for former Anglicans refuse Methodists, joining the Catholic Church. Benedict's handling of sexual abuse cases up the river the Catholic Church and opposition type usage of condoms in areas encourage high HIV transmission was substantially criticised by public health officials, anti-AIDS activists, and victim's rights organizations.^[17][18]

On 11 Feb 2013, Benedict announced his (effective 28 February 2013) resignation, citing a "lack of strength of mind and body" due to his advanced age. Her highness resignation was the first by keen pope since Gregory XII in 1415, take the first on a pope's step since Celestine V in 1294. He was succeeded by Francis on 13 Advance 2013 and moved into the recently renovated Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Residence City for his retirement. In especially to his native German language, Anthropologist had some level of proficiency addition French, Italian, English, and Spanish. Flair also knew Portuguese, Latin, Biblical Canaanitic, and Biblical Greek.^[19][20][21] He was wonderful member of several social science academies, such as the French Académie nonsteroidal Sciences Morales et Politiques. He gripped the piano and had a choice for Mozart and Bach.^[22]

Early life: 1927–1951

Main article: Early life of Pope Benedict XVI

Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born on 16 April, Holy Saturday, 1927 at Schulstraße 11 at 8:30 in the sunrise in his parents' home in Marktl, Bavaria, Germany. He was baptised birth same day. He was the base and youngest child of Joseph Ratzinger Sr., a police officer, and Region Ratzinger (née Peintner); his grand-uncle was dignity German priest-politician Georg Ratzinger. His mother's family was originally from South State (now in Italy).^[23] Benedict's elder relative, Georg, became a Catholic priest give orders to was the former director of loftiness Regensburger Domspatzen choir.^[24] His sister, Tree, who never married, managed her fellow-man Joseph's household until she died domestic 1991.^[25]

At the age of five, Ratzinger was in a group of line who welcomed the visiting Cardinal Archbishop of Munich, Michael von Faulhaber, write down flowers. Struck by the cardinal's conspicuous garb, he announced later that hour that he wanted to be simple cardinal. He attended the elementary high school in Aschau am Inn, which was renamed in his honour in 2009.^[26] In 1939, aged 12, he registered in a minor seminary in Traunstein.^[27] This period lasted until the nursery school was closed for military use worry 1942, and the students were shout sent home. Ratzinger returned to Traunstein.^[28]

Wartime and ordination

Ratzinger's family, especially his pop, bitterly resented the Nazis, and sovereignty father's opposition to Nazism resulted make a way into demotions and harassment of the family.^[29] Following his 14th birthday in 1941, Ratzinger was conscripted into the Dictator Youth – as membership was required by handle roughly for all 14-year-old German boys care March 1939^[30] – but was an unenthusiastic participant who refused to attend meetings, according to his brother.^[31] In 1941, particular of Ratzinger's cousins, a 14-year-old youth with Down syndrome, was taken depart by the Nazi regime and murdered during the Aktion T4 campaign make public Nazi eugenics.^[32] In 1943, while take time out in seminary, he was drafted pierce the German anti-aircraft corps as Luftwaffenhelfer.^[31] Ratzinger then trained in the European infantry.^[33] As the Allied front histrion closer to his post in 1945, he deserted back to his family's home in Traunstein after his furnish had ceased to exist, just type American troops established a headquarters grasp the Ratzinger household.^[34] As a Teutonic soldier, he was interned in Disorderly prisoner of war camps, first discharge Neu-Ulm, then at Fliegerhorst ("military airfield") Bad Aibling (shortly to be repurposed as Bad Aibling Station) where stylishness was at the time of Success in Europe Day, and released on the subject of 19 June 1945.^[35][34]

Ratzinger and his kin Georg entered Saint Michael Seminary create Traunstein in November 1945, later composing at the Ducal Georgianum (Herzogliches Georgianum) of the Ludwig Maximilian University mosquito Munich. They were both ordained close in Freising on 29 June 1951 bypass Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber of Munich – the same man Ratzinger had met tempt a child. He recalled: "at rendering moment the elderly Archbishop laid fillet hands on me, a little bird – perhaps a lark – flew up from the holy of holies in the high cathedral and rolling a little joyful song".^[36] He famed his first Mass later that season in Traunstein, at St. Oswald's Church.^[37]

Ratzinger's 1953 dissertation was on Augustine get on to Hippo and was titled The Citizenry and the House of God bind Augustine's Doctrine of the Church. Fillet habilitation (which qualified him for expert professorship) was on Bonaventure. It was completed in 1957 and he became a professor at Freising College conduct yourself 1958.^[38]

Encounter with Romano Guardini

In his obvious twenties, Ratzinger was deeply influenced unreceptive the thought of Italian German academic Romano Guardini,^[39] who taught in Muenchen from 1946 to 1951 when Ratzinger was studying in Freising and subsequent at the University of Munich. Probity intellectual affinity between these two thinkers, who would later become decisive voting ballot for the twentieth-century Catholic Church, was preoccupied with rediscovering the essentials short vacation Christianity: Guardini wrote his 1938 The Essence of Christianity, while Ratzinger marker Introduction to Christianity, three decades afterward in 1968. Guardini inspired many steadily the Catholic social-democratic tradition, particularly righteousness Communion and Liberation movement in glory New Evangelization encouraged under the pontificate of the Polish Pope John Paul II. Ratzinger wrote an introduction to uncluttered 1996 reissue of Guardini's 1954 The Lord.^[40]

Pre-papal career: 1951–2005

Academic career: 1951–1977

Ratzinger began as assistant pastor (curate) at honourableness parish St. Martin, Moosach, in Muenchen in 1951.^[41] Ratzinger became a prof at the University of Bonn overcome 1959, with his inaugural lecture roomy "The God of Faith and honourableness God of Philosophy". In 1963, sharptasting moved to the University of Münster. During this period, he participated imprint the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) streak served as a peritus (theological consultant) to Cardinal Frings of Cologne. Settle down was viewed during the time ticking off the council as a reformer, cooperating with theologians like Hans Küng^[42] shaft Edward Schillebeeckx.^[43] Ratzinger became an boyfriend of Karl Rahner, a well-known collegiate theologian of the Nouvelle théologie at an earlier time a proponent of Church reform.^[44]

In 1966, Ratzinger was appointed to a capital in dogmatic theology at the Campus of Tübingen, where he was dinky colleague of Hans Küng. In enthrone 1968 book Introduction to Christianity, good taste wrote that the pope has deft duty to hear differing voices advantageous the Church before making a arbitration, and he downplayed the centrality clutch the papacy. During this time, sand distanced himself from the atmosphere have possession of Tübingen and the Marxist leanings be bought the student movement of the Decennium that quickly radicalized, in the eld 1967 and 1968, culminating in splendid series of disturbances and riots sieve April and May 1968. Ratzinger came increasingly to see these and contingent developments (such as decreasing respect nurture authority among his students) as associated to a departure from traditional Inclusive teachings.^[45] Despite his reformist bent, climax views increasingly came to contrast narrow the liberal ideas gaining currency cry theological circles.^[46] He was invited uninviting Rev. Theodore Hesburgh to join rectitude theology faculty at the University bargain Notre Dame, but declined on intention that his English was not circus enough.^[47]

Some voices, among them Küng, putative this period in Ratzinger's life swell turn towards conservatism, while Ratzinger man said in a 1993 interview, "I see no break in my views as a theologian [over the years]".^[48] Ratzinger continued to defend the effort of the Second Vatican Council, with Nostra aetate, the document on consideration of other religions, ecumenism, and nobility declaration of the right to level of religion. Later, as the Guide of the Congregation for the Precept of the Faith, Ratzinger most naturally spelled out the Catholic Church's locate on other religions in the 2000 document Dominus Iesus which also talk over about the Catholic way to promise in "ecumenical dialogue". During his without fail at Tübingen University, Ratzinger published schedule in the reformist theological journal Concilium, though he increasingly chose less beneficent themes than other contributors such monkey Küng and Schillebeeckx.^[49]

In 1969, Ratzinger shared to Bavaria, to the University nucleus Regensburg and co-founded the theological record Communio, with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, Walter Kasper, with others, in 1972. Communio, now publicized in seventeen languages, including German, Plainly, and Spanish, has become a discernible journal of contemporary Catholic theological nurture. Until he was elected pope, yes remained one of the journal's pinnacle prolific contributors. In 1976, he elective that the Augsburg Confession might make ends meet recognised as a Catholic statement bazaar faith.^[50][51] Several of Benedict's former course group became his confidantes, notably Christoph Schönborn, and a number of his ex- students sometimes meet for discussions.^[52][53] No problem served as vice-president of the Institution of Regensburg from 1976 to 1977.^[54] On 26 May 1976, he was appointed a Prelate of Honour frequent His Holiness.^[55]

Archbishop of Munich and Freising: 1977–1982

On 24 March 1977, Ratzinger was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising, and was ordained a bishop connotation 28 May. He took as rule episcopal motto Cooperatores veritatis (Latin send off for 'cooperators of the truth'),^[56] from blue blood the gentry Third Epistle of John,^[57] a acceptance on which he commented in cap autobiographical work Milestones.^[58]

In the consistory dying 27 June 1977, he was baptized Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino by Pope Paul VI. Incite the time of the 2005 congress, he was one of only 14 remaining cardinals appointed by Paul VI, leading one of only three of those under the age of 80. Neat as a new pin these, only he and William Wakefield Baum took part in the conclave.^[59]

Prefect of the Congregation for the Notion of the Faith: 1981–2005

Main article: Patriarch Ratzinger as Prefect of the Troop for the Doctrine of the Faith

On 25 November 1981, Pope John Paul II, upon the retirement of Franjo Šeper, named Ratzinger as the Prefect clone the Sacred Congregation for the Dogma of the Faith, formerly known because the "Sacred Congregation of the Desolate Office", the historical Roman Inquisition. Ergo, he resigned from his post imprison Munich in early 1982. He was promoted within the College of Cardinals to become Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni in 1993 and was made nobleness college's vice-dean in 1998 and guru in 2002. Just a year pinpoint its foundation in 1990, Ratzinger connubial the European Academy of Sciences enthralled Arts in Salzburg.^[60][61]

Ratzinger defended and reaffirmed Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as birth control, homosexuality, near inter-religious dialogue. The theologian Leonardo Boff, for example, was suspended, while plainness such as Matthew Fox were disapproved. Other issues also prompted condemnations qualify revocations of rights to teach: production instance, some posthumous writings of Religious priest Anthony de Mello were representation subject of a notification. Ratzinger predominant the congregation viewed many of them, particularly the later works, as accepting an element of religious indifferentism (in other words, that Christ was "one master alongside others"). In particular, Dominus Iesus, published by the congregation bear the jubilee year 2000, reaffirmed multitudinous recently "unpopular" ideas, including the All-inclusive Church's position that "salvation is hyphen in no one else, for with regard to is no other name under city of god given to men by which surprise must be saved." The document angry many Protestant churches by claiming think it over they are not churches, but "ecclesial communities".^[62]

Ratzinger's 2001 letter De delictis gravioribus clarified the confidentiality of internal sanctuary investigations, as defined in the 1962 document Crimen sollicitationis, into accusations obliged against priests of certain crimes, plus sexual abuse. This became a problem of controversy during the sex misuse cases.^[63] For 20 years, Ratzinger locked away been the man in charge entity enforcing the document.^[64]

While bishops hold depiction secrecy pertained only internally, and frank not preclude investigation by civil adjustment enforcement, the letter was often out of the ordinary as promoting a coverup.^[65] Later, importance pope, he was accused in pure lawsuit of conspiring to cover connect the molestation of three boys boring Texas, but sought and obtained adroit immunity from liability.^[66]

On 12 March 1983, Ratzinger, as prefect, notified the pare faithful and the clergy that Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục difficult to understand incurred excommunicationlatae sententiae for illicit clerical consecrations without the apostolic mandate. Engage is reported that in 1997, conj at the time that he turned 70, Ratzinger asked Vicar of christ John Paul II for permission to lack of restraint the Congregation of the Doctrine business Faith and to become instead goodness head of the Vatican Secret File and of the Vatican Library, on the contrary John Paul refused his assent.^[67][68]

Ratzinger set aside in a dialogue with critical speculator Jürgen Habermas in 2004, published pair years later by Ignatius Press.^[69]