Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI was the 265th Pope in the history of the Catholic Church and the first to resign from the papacy since 1415.
His early years
Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl, Germany, in a simple and very Catholic family from Bavaria.
He was ordained a priest along with his brother Georg in 1951, earned his doctorate in theology two years later, and in 1957 received a license to teach dogmatic theology. He taught in Freising, Bonn, Münster, Tübingen, and finally Regensburg.
He was the author of several books and essays on religious and philosophical topics, including his famous work “Introduction to Christianity”.
Ratzinger spoke ten languages, mastering at least six: German, Italian, French, Latin, English, and Spanish. In addition, he reads ancient Greek and Hebrew.
Benedict XVI
Before being elected Pope, he was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responsible for safeguarding the orthodoxy of the Catholic faith. He was elected Pope in 2005, after the death of John Paul II and took the name Benedict XVI.
One of the most moving moments was the visit to Auschwitz in May 2006, in which the German Pope said: “In a place like this, words are superfluous, all that remains is a heartrending silence, a silence that is an inner cry to God: How could you have allowed all this?”
Benedict XVI was the first Pope to have a Twitter account, which he used to share his messages and reflections with his followers. His first message on @Pontifex read: “Dear friends, I join you joyfully through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart”.
During his tenure, Benedict XVI dedicated himself to promoting unity among the different Christian denominations and strengthening the relationship of the Catholic Church with other religions. He also worked to fight corruption and poverty worldwide and to promote peace and social justice.
Benedict XVI’s last years
The last years as Pope were marked by the reappearance of the pedophilia scandal and the Vatileaks, the leaking of documents taken from the papal desk and published in a book. Benedict XVI was determined and tough in facing the problem of “filth” within the Church. He introduced very strict rules against child abuse and asked the Curia and bishops to change their mentality. He even went so far as to say that the Church’s greatest persecution does not come from its external enemies, but from sin within it.
In 2013, he made the historic decision to resign from the papacy, citing his advanced age and lack of physical strength as reasons. Since then, he has dedicated himself to a life of prayer and contemplation, while continuing to make public statements on important issues. He is currently 92 years old and lives in a monastery within the Vatican.
Photo: Wikimedia
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This is a translation of an original article in Spanish: Joseph Ratzinger, el papa emérito Benedicto XVI
