Benedict XVI: A life face to face with God

Posted On 11 Feb 2013

Born under the name of Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger, he was born on the 16 of April 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria (Germany), Benedict XVI begins to hold office as Pope of the Catholic Church since 2005, after the death of John Paul II.

Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger

Beginnings:

Ratzinger began participating in the Second Vatican Council as theological advisor of Cardinal Joseph Frings. He was appointed Archbishop of Munich and later cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977. In 1981 he was called to Rome to be Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II, who years later would name him Dean of the College of Cardinals, and as such, Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia in 2002. In this role he presided over the funeral of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. A few days later, on April 19, 2005, the same Ratzinger was elected Pope.

Prediction and election as Pope:

After the death of John Paul II, the Financial Times gave the preference to Ratzinger to become Pope , but close to his “rival” of the “liberal” wing of the Church. Though Ratzinger was considered the favorite by most international media, was a surprise to many when he was elected.

On April 19 2005, Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as the successor of John Paul II on the second day of the conclave after four rounds of voting.

In the solemn inauguration of his pontificate, Cardinal Medina was asked to impose the pallium, while Angelo Sodano, Cardinal Bishop of Albano and title in commendam of S. Maria Nuova, Secretary of State, placed the “Fisherman’s Ring”.

Pope Benedict XVI

Papacy:

His election immediately generated harsh criticism, focusing on his alleged neo-conservative profile, he was accused of wanting to restore the organization and doctrine of the Church The way it was before Vatican II. Some analysts expected him to harden the position of the Church regarding the prohibition of abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia and contraceptive use.

In August 2005, he participated in the World Youth Day in Cologne, achieving great displays of affection by the youth which also highlighted the memory of John Paul II. Continuing with the legacy of his predecessor, Benedict visited a dozen countries preaching a message of pure love and chastity.

Among the countries visited were: Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Austria, United States, Australia, Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Britain, Croatia, Benin, Mexico, Cuba and Lebanon.

Facts:

Is an accomplished pianist and his favorite composer is Mozart.
Is the sixth German pope since Victor II.
In April 2005 he was included in the list of 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.
At the age of five, Ratzinger was in a group of children who welcomed the visit of Cardinal Archbishop of Munich with flowers. Impressed by the cardinal’s dress, later announced that he wanted to follow his ateos.
Benedict XVI speaks ten languages, mastering German, Italian, French, Latin, English and Spanish, plus read ancient Greek and Hebrew. He is a member of several scientific academies of Europe and has received eight honorary doctorates from various universities.
It is the first pope to enter the cyber world. It premiered as a user of social networks following the opening of his Twitter account: @ Pontifex.
Early on February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict announced he will resign his office on The 28th of The current month. The same decision was taken three times before in the history of the Church (Benedict IX, Celestine V and Gregory XII).

Early on February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict announced he will resign his office on The 28th of The current month. The same decision was taken three times before in the history of the Church (Benedict IX, Celestine V and Gregory XII).