His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI ( (Any dialect of the language of ancient Rome)
Latin: Benedictus XVI) was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger (in German Josef)
on April 16, 1927 in (A state in southwestern Germany famous for its beer;
site of an automobile factory) Bavaria, (A republic in central Europe; split
into East German and West Germany after World War II and reunited in 1990)
Germany. He is the (Royal authority; the dominion of a monarch) reigning
265th (The head of the Roman Catholic Church) pope, serving as the bishop
of (Capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic
Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire)
Rome, (Any of the early Biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human
race) Patriarch of the West, head of the (The Christian Church based in the
Vatican and presided over by a pope and an episcopal hierarchy) Roman Catholic
Church and (A nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right)
sovereign of (The capital of the State of the Vatican City) Vatican City.
He was elected on April 19, 2005, in the papal conclave which he presided
over in his capacity as Dean of the College of Cardinals. He was formally
papal inauguration Mass on
April 24, 2005.
Overview
Pope Benedict was elected at the age of 78. He was the oldest person
to be elected pope since Clement XII
in 1730. He served longer as a ((Roman Catholic Church) one of a group
of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise
the Pope and elect new Popes) cardinal before being elected pope than
any pope since
Benedict XIII (elected 1724). He is the eighth pope to come from (A
republic in central Europe; split into East German and West Germany
after World War II and reunited in 1990) Germany, the last being Adrian
VI (1522–1523),
but only the third from the territory of present-day Germany, the last
being Pope
Victor II (1055–1057). The last Pope Benedict, Benedict XV,
was an (A native or inhabitant of Italy) Italian who served as pope
from 1914 to 1922
and reigned during (A war between the allies (Russia, France, British
Empire, Italy, United States, Japan, Rumania, Serbia, Belgium, Greece,
Portugal, Montenegro) and the central powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Turkey, Bulgaria) from 1914 to 1918) World War I.
Ratzinger had a distinguished career as a university (Someone who
is learned in theology or who speculates about theology (especially
Christian theology)) theologian before being made Archbishop
of Munich and Freising; he was subsequently made a ((Roman Catholic
Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred
College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes) Cardinal by Pope Paul
VI in the (A church tribunal or governing body) consistory of June
27, 1977.
He was appointed (A chief officer or chief magistrate) prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul
II in 1981 and was made Cardinal Bishop of the Suburbicarian Church
of Velletri-Segni on April 5, 1993. In 1998, he was made Sub-Dean of
the ((Roman Catholic
Church) the body of cardinals who advise the Pope and elect new Popes)
College of Cardinals; later, on November 30, 2002, he became the ((Roman
Catholic Church) the head of the College of Cardinals) Dean and Cardinal
Bishop of the Suburbicarian Church of Ostia, La Candelaria. He was
the first Dean of the College elected Pope since Pope Paul IV in 1555
and the first Cardinal Bishop elected Pope since Pope
Pius VIII in 1829.
Before becoming pope, Cardinal Ratzinger was already one of the most
influential men in the (The residence of the Catholic Pope in the Vatican
City) Vatican, and was a close associate of the late Pope John Paul
II. He presided over the funeral of Pope John Paul and also over
the 2005 conclave in which he himself was elected. He was the public
face of
the church in much of the sede vacante, although he ranked below
the Camerlengo
in administrative
authority during that time.
Benedict XVI's views appear to be similar to those of his predecessor,
Pope John
Paul II, in maintaining the traditional Catholic (A belief system
of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school) doctrines
on (Limiting the number of children born) birth control, (Termination
of pregnancy) abortion, and (A sexual attraction to (or sexual relations
with) persons of the same sex) homosexuality and promoting Catholic
social teaching.
Benedict speaks several languages, including (A person of German nationality)
German, (The Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries
colonized by Spain) Spanish, (A native or inhabitant of Italy) Italian,
(An Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the
official language of Britain and the United States and most of the
Commonwealth countries) English and (Any dialect of the language of
ancient Rome) Latin. He is also fluent in (The Romance language spoken
in France and in countries colonized by France) French and has been
an associate member of the French Académie
des sciences morales et politiques since 1992. He plays the (A stringed
instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to
strike tuned strings and produce sounds) piano and has a preference
for (The music of Mozart) Mozart and (The music of Beethoven) Beethoven.
He is also known for his fondness for cats. His former car, sold on
eBay, earned a lucky owner a fortune.
Early life (1927–1951)
Background and childhood (1927–1943)
Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born on (The Saturday before Easter; the
last day of Lent) Holy Saturday, at Schulstrasse 11, his parents' home
in Marktl
am Inn, (A state in southwestern Germany famous for its beer; site
of an automobile factory) Bavaria. He was the third and youngest child
of (Click link for more info and facts about Joseph Ratzinger, Sr.)
Joseph Ratzinger, Sr., a police officer, and his wife, Maria Ratzinger
(nee Riger), who worked as a barmaid, and whose family were from South
Tyrol (today part of (A republic in southern Europe on the Italian
Peninsula; was
the core of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire between the 4th
century BC and the 5th century AD) Italy). His father served in both
the Bavarian State Police and the German national Regular Police
before retiring in 1937 to the town of Traunstein. The Sunday Times
of (The capital and largest
city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial
and industrial and cultural center) London described the elder Ratzinger
as "an anti-Nazi whose attempts to rein in Hitler’s Brown
Shirts forced the family to move several times." According to
the International Herald Tribune, these relocations were directly
related to Joseph Ratzinger,
Sr.'s continued resistance to Nazism, which resulted in demotions and
transfers. The pope's brother Georg said: "Our father was a bitter
enemy of Nazism because he believed it was in conflict with our faith." .
His brother, Georg, who also became a priest as well as a musician
and medievalist, is still living. His sister, Maria Ratzinger, who
never married, managed her brother Joseph's household until her death
in 1991. Their grand uncle Georg Ratzinger was a priest and member
of the Reichstag,
as the German
Parliament was called then. The future pope's relatives agree that
his ambitions to reside in the upper echelons of the Church were apparent
since childhood. At five years old, Ratzinger was in a group of children
who presented the (A bishop of highest rank) archbishop of (The capital
and largest city of Bavaria in southeastern Germany) Munich with flowers;
later that day he announced he wanted to be a cardinal.
Early life of Pope Benedict XVI.
When Ratzinger turned 14 he joined the Hitler Youth, membership of
which was legally required from March 25, 1939. According to the National
Catholic Reporter correspondent and biographer John Allen, Ratzinger
was an
unenthusiastic member who refused to attend meetings. Ratzinger has
mentioned that a Nazi mathematics professor arranged reduced tuition
payments for him at seminary. This normally required documentation
of attendance at Hitler Youth activities; however, according to Ratzinger,
his professor arranged so that he did not need to attend to receive
a scholarship.
Military service (1943–1945)
In 1943, when he was 16, Ratzinger was drafted with many of his classmates
into the (A slick spokesperson who can turn any criticism to the
advantage of their employer) FlaK anti-aircraft (Large but transportable
armament artillery corps). They were posted first to Ludwigsfeld,
north of Munich, as part of a detachment responsible for guarding
a BMW aircraft engine plant. Next they were sent to Unterföhring,
northwest of (The capital and largest city of Bavaria in southeastern
Germany) Munich, and briefly to (City in southwestern Austria; known
as a summer and winter resort) Innsbruck. From Innsbruck their unit
went to Gilching to protect the jet fighter base and to attack Allied
bombers as they massed to begin their runs towards Munich. At Gilching,
Ratzinger served in a telephone communications post.
On September 10, 1944, his class was released from the Corps. Returning
home, Ratzinger had already received a new draft notice for the Reichsarbeitsdienst.
He was posted to the (A native or inhabitant of Hungary) Hungarian
border area of (A mountainous republic in central Europe; under the
Habsburgs (1278-1918) Austria maintained control of the Holy Roman
Empire and was a leader in European politics until the 19th century)
Austria, which had been annexed by Germany in the Anschluss of 1938.
Here he was trained in the "cult of the spade" and when Hungary
was occupied by the Red Army, Ratzinger was put to work setting up
anti-tank defences
in preparation for the expected Red Army offensive. While there, he
saw Jews being herded to death camps. On November 20, 1944, his unit
was released
from service.
Ratzinger again returned home. After three weeks passed, he was drafted
into the German army at Munich and assigned to the infantry barracks
in the center of Traunstein, the city near which his family lived.
After basic infantry training, Ratzinger served at various posts around
the city with his unit. They were never sent to the front.
In late April or early May, days or weeks before the German surrender,
Ratzinger deserted. (Withdrawing support or help despite allegiance
or responsibility)
Desertion was widespread during the last weeks of the war, even though
punishable by death (executions, frequently extrajudicial, continued
to the end); diminished morale and the greatly diminished risk of prosecution
from a preoccupied and disorganized German military contributed to
the growing wave of soldiers looking toward self-preservation. On his
way home he ran into soldiers on guard, but they let him go.
When the Americans arrived in the village, "I was identified
as a soldier, had to put back on the uniform I had already abandoned,
had to raise my hands and join the steadily growing throng of war prisoners
whom they were lining up on our meadow. It especially cut my good mother's
heart to see her boy and the rest of the defeated army standing there,
exposed to an uncertain fate..." Ratzinger was briefly interned
in a
prisoner-of-war camp near Ulm and was released on June 19, 1945. He
and another young man began to walk the 120 km (75 miles) home but
got a lift to Traunstein in a milk truck.
The family was reunited when his brother, Georg, returned after being
released from a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy.
Education (1946–1951)
After he was repatriated in 1945, he and his brother entered a Catholic
seminary in Freising, and then studied at the Herzogliches Georgianum
of the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. According to an interview
with Peter Seewald, he and his fellow students were particularly
influenced by the works of Gertrud von le Fort, Ernst Wiechert, (Russian
novelist who wrote of human suffering with humor and psychological
insight (1821-1881)) Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Elisabeth Langgässer,
Theodor Steinbüchel, (German philosopher whose views on human
existence in a world of objects and on Angst influenced the existential
philosophers (1889-1976)) Martin Heidegger and (German psychiatrist
(1883-1969)) Karl Jaspers. The young Ratzinger saw the last three
in particular as a break with the dominance of Neo-Kantianism, with
the key work being Steinbüchel's Die Wende des Denkens (The
Change in Thinking). By the end of his studies he was drawn more
to the active
Saint Augustine than to ((Roman Catholic Church) Italian theologian
and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile
faith and reason in a comprehensive theology; presented philosophical
proofs of the existence of God (1225-1274)) Thomas Aquinas, and among
the scholastics he was more interested in Saint Bonaventure.
On June 29, 1951, he and his brother were ordained by Michael
Cardinal von Faulhaber of (The capital and largest city of Bavaria
in southeastern Germany) Munich. His dissertation (1953) was on Saint
Augustine, entitled "The People and the House of God in Augustine's
Doctrine of the Church," and his Habilitationsschrift (a dissertation
which serves as qualification for a professorship) was on Saint Bonaventure.
It was completed in 1957 and he became a professor of Freising college
in 1958.
Early church career (1951–1981)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 (A commercial
center and river port in western Germany on the Rhine River; flourished
during
the 15th century as a member of the Hanseatic League) Cologne, Germany,
and has continued to defend the council, including Nostra Aetate,
the document on respect of other religions and the declaration of the
right to religious
freedom. He was viewed during the time of the council as a reformer.
(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.)
In 1966, he took a chair in dogmatic theology at the University of
Tübingen, where he was a colleague of Hans Küng. 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. During this time, he distanced himself from the atmosphere
of Tübingen and the (An advocate of Marxism) Marxist leanings
of the student movement of the (The decade from 1960 to 1969) 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 (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 the theological academy. In 1969 he returned
to Bavaria, to the University of Regensburg.
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 ( (A person
of German nationality) German, (An Indo-European language belonging
to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the
United States and most of the Commonwealth countries) English, (The
Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized
by Spain) Spanish and many others), has become one of the most important
(A record book as a physical object) journals of Catholic thought.
He remains one of the journal's most prolific contributors.
In March 1977 Ratzinger was named (A bishop of highest rank) archbishop
of (The capital and largest city of Bavaria in southeastern Germany)
Munich and Freising.
According to his autobiography, Milestones, he took as his episcopal
motto Cooperatores Veritatis, co-workers of the Truth, from 3 John
8.
In the (A church tribunal or governing body) consistory of June 1977
he was named a ((Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than
100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and
elect new Popes) cardinal by Pope Paul VI. By the time of the 2005
Conclave, he was one of only 14 remaining cardinals appointed by Paul
VI, and one of
only three of those under the age of 80 and thus eligible to participate
in that 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 of the (A former tribunal of the
Roman Catholic Church (1232-1820) created to discover and suppress
heresy) Inquisition. He resigned the Munich (The diocese of an archbishop)
archdiocese in early 1982. Already a cardinal priest, he was raised
to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni in 1993. He became vice-dean of
the ((Roman Catholic Church) the body of cardinals who advise the Pope
and elect new Popes) College of Cardinals in 1998, and dean in 2002.
In office, Ratzinger usually took traditional views on topics such
as (Limiting the number of children born) birth control, (A sexual
attraction to (or sexual relations with) persons of the same sex) homosexuality,
and
inter-religious dialogue. Among other things, he played a key role
in silencing outspoken liberation theologians and clergy in (The parts
of North and South America south of the United States where Romance
languages
are spoken) Latin America in the 1980s.
Health
In the early (The decade from 1990 to 1999) 1990s Ratzinger
suffered a the act of swinging or striking at a ball with
a club or racket or bat or cue or hand) stroke which slightly impaired
his eyesight. The existence of the stroke had been known during 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 occured between 2003 and 2005. (A republic
in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe) France's
Philippe Cardinal Barbarin further revealed that since the first
stroke, Ratzinger
has suffered from a heart condition. Because of his health problems,
Ratzinger had hoped to retire, but had continued in his position in
obedience to the wishes of Pope John Paul II.
Response to sex abuse scandalRegarding the Roman Catholic
Church sex abuse scandal, he was seen by critics as at best, indifferent
to the abuse and at worst, complicit in covering it up, both in specific
cases and as a matter of policy. As prefect of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), such abuses were ultimately his responsibility
to investigate within the Church.
On May 18 2001, Cardinal Ratzinger, as part of the implementation
of the norms enacted and promulgated on April 30 2001 by Pope John
Paul II, sent a
Latin language letter 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 (A statutory offense that provides
that it is a crime to knowingly cause another person to engage in an
unwanted sexual act by force or threat) sexual abuse, reserved to the
jurisdiction of the CDF. The letter established a prescription ( (A
statute prescribing the time period during which legal action can be
taken) statute of limitations) of 10 years for these crimes. However,
when the crime is sexual abuse of a minor, the "prescription begins
to run from the day on which the minor completes the eighteenth year
of age." According to Catholic News Service, "One bishop
who is well informed on the issue and asked not to be named said the
secrecy demanded by the new norms gives the appearance of a “cover-up” by
the church." Lawyers acting for two alleged victims of abuse in
Texas claim that by sending the letter the cardinal conspired to obstruct
justice. However, the letter did not discourage victims from reporting
the abuse itself to the police; the secrecy related to the internal
investigation. "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." 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 which, in accordance with the Code
of Canon Law , is the (The smallest sovereign state in the world; the
see of
the Pope (as the Bishop of Rome); home of the Pope and the central
administration of the Roman Catholic Church; achieved independence
from Italy in 1929) Holy See's official journal, disseminated monthly
to thousands of libraries and offices around the world.
On April 23 2005, The Independent reported that Ratzinger had since
1997 ignored specific sex abuse allegations made by nine different
people against Friar Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legion of
Christ. Cardinal Ratzinger
is quoted as having said "One can't put on trial such a close
friend of the Pope's as Marcial Maciel." After the nine brought
claims—many corroborated by each other's detailed testimonies—before
the Vatican's courts in the mid- (The decade from 1990 to 1999) 1990s,
on December 24 1999, Ratzinger's secretary, Father Gianfranco Girotti,
wrote to the men saying that the Vatican considered the matter closed.
In a last-ditch attempt to persuade Ratzinger to change his mind, another
letter was despatched to him in 2002 through an intermediary. It went
unanswered. Cardinal Ratzinger re-opened the investigation in December
of 2004.
In 2002 Cardinal Ratzinger told Catholic News Service that "less
than one percent of priests are guilty of acts of this type." 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. A report by the Catholic Church itself
estimated that some 4,450 of the Roman Catholic clergy who served between
1950 and 2002 have faced credible accusations of abuse. His (Friday
before Easter) 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 Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, that he would
attend to the matter.
Dialogue with other faithsIn 2000, the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith issued a a document entitled Dominus Iesus, which created
a lot of controversy. Some religious groups took offense to wild claims
regarding
the document, that supposedly stated that, "only in the Catholic
Church is there eternal salvation." However this statement appears
nowhere in the document. Like his speech, Relativism:
The Central Problem for Faith Today, the document condemned "relativistic
theories" of religious pluralism and described other faiths as "gravely
deficient" in the means of salvation. The document was primarily
aimed at reining in liberal Catholic theologians like Jacques Dupuis,
who argued that other religions could contain God-given means of salvation
not found in the Church of Christ, but it offended many religious leaders.
Jewish religious leaders boycotted several interfaith meetings in protest.
A remarkable but unappreciated aspect of this document can be found
in the actual official Latin text. Here, in the Latin text of Dominus
Iesus, the famous" filioque clause," ("and the Son"),
for more than one thousand years, a source of conflict between (The
Christian Church
based in the Vatican and presided over by a pope and an episcopal hierarchy)
Roman Catholic and (Derived from the Byzantine Church and adhering
to Byzantine rites) Orthodox Church is quietly left out without notice
or comment. The filioque clause was a highly controversial change to
the ((Christianity) a formal creed summarizing Christian beliefs; first
adopted in 325 and later expanded) Nicene Creed. The clause was added
by the
Third Council of Toledo in 589. In Latin, the changed sentence is "Credo in Spiritum
Sanctum qui ex patre filioque procedit ("I believe in the Holy
Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son.") One site summarizes
the significance of the Filioque clause, saying, "The filioque
clause was probably devised in response to Arianism, which denied the
full divinity of the Son....The Eastern and Western churches have remained
separate, and the doctrine represented by the term filioque stands
as one of the primary points of difference between them." Was
the removal of the filioque clause an attempt by Cardinal Ratzinger,
to reach a hand by across the theological/historical chasm separating
Eastern
and Western Churches?
Already in 1987, Cardinal Ratzinger had stated that Jewish history
and scripture reach fulfillment only in Christ – a position critics
denounced as "theological anti-Semitism," although it is
very much in the general tradition of Christian views of the Old Testament
and the Jews. Despite this, groups such as the World Jewish Congress
commended his election as Pope as "welcome" and extolled his "great
sensitivity".
Though his advent was congratulated by Buddhist leaders around the
world, critics remembered that in March 1997 Cardinal Ratzinger predicted
that (The teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering
caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that
enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation
releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth) Buddhism would
over the coming century replace Marxism as the main "enemy" of
the Catholic Church. Some also criticized him for calling Buddhism
and
"
autoerotic
spirituality" that offered "transcendence without imposing
concrete religious obligations" , though that might be a mistranslation
from the French auto-erotisme, which more properly translates to self-absorption,
or narcissism . Also the quote did not address Buddhism as such, but
rather about how Buddhism "appears" to those Europeans who
are using it to obtain some type of self-satisfying spiritual experience.
In an interview in 2004 for Le Figaro Magazine, Ratzinger said (A
Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; achieved independence
from the Ottoman
Empire in 1923) Turkey, a country (A believer or follower of Islam)
Muslim by heritage and staunchly (An advocate of secularism; someone
who believes that religion should be excluded from government and education)
Secularist by its state constitution, should seek its future in an
association of Islamic
nations rather than the (An international organization of European
countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase
cooperation among its members) EU, which has (A religious person who
believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination)
Christian roots. He said Turkey had always been "in permanent
contrast to (The 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula
of Eurasia); the British use `Europe' to refer to all of the continent
except the British Isles) Europe" and that linking it to Europe
would be a mistake.
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
(Loyalty or allegiance
to a cause or a person) 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. Specifically, they argue that Ratzinger
has been instrumental at encouraging reconciliation with (Follower
of Lutheranism) Lutherans. In defending Dominus Iesus, Benedict 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.
Papacy
Election to the Papacy
Prediction On January 2, 2005, (The continuum of experience in which
events pass from the future through the present to the past) Time magazine
quoted unnamed Vatican sources as saying that Ratzinger was a frontrunner
to succeed (The first Pope born in Poland (born in 1920)) John Paul
II should the pope die or become too ill to continue as pope. On the
death of (The first Pope born in Poland (born in 1920)) 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.
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 the same age 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."
Cardinal Ratzinger had repeatedly stated he would like to retire to
a Bavarian village and dedicate himself to writing books, but more
recently, he told friends he was ready to "accept any charge
God placed on him." After the death of (The first Pope born
in Poland (born in 1920)) John Paul II on April 2, 2005 Ratzinger
ceased functioning as Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith. As he is now Pope, it will be up to
him to decide who will follow him in the role of prefect.
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.
Despite all this, many experts were initially still somewhat skeptical
that Ratzinger would be elected Pope. In modern history Papal predictions
had usually been wrong, with the most popular candidates often losing
the election in favor of a more unknown, obscure cardinal. For example
following the death of Pope Paul VI many in the media predicted the
next pope would be a non-Italian, only to have this prediction proven
wrong with the election of Albino Luciani as John Paul I. Likewise,
when John Paul died many predicted his successor would in turn be another
Italian,
yet this also was proven wrong with the election of the Polish Karol
Wojtyla.
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,
a German pope and saint.
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."
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 in Latin. He announced the decision
with the words:
Fratelli e sorelle carissimi; queridísimos hermanos y hermanas;
bien chers frères et sœurs; liebe Brüder und Schwestern;
dear brothers and sisters: Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam!
Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum Iosephum,
Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Ratzinger,
qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedicti decimi sexti.
Which translates to:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I announce to you a great joy:
We have a Pope!
The most Eminent and Reverend Lord,
the Lord Joseph
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Ratzinger,
who has taken to himself the name of Benedict the Sixteenth.
At the balcony, Benedict's first words to the crowd, before he gave
the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing, were, in Italian:
Cari fratelli e sorelle, dopo il grande Papa Giovanni Paolo Secondo,
i signori cardinali hanno eletto me, un semplice e umile lavoratore
nella vigna del Signore. Mi consola il fatto che il Signore sa lavorare
ed agire anche con strumenti insufficienti e soprattutto mi affido
alle vostre preghiere.Nella gioia del Signore risorto, fiduciosi nel
suo aiuto permanente, andiamo avanti. Il Signore ci aiuterà e
Maria sua Santissima Madre starà dalla nostra parte. Grazie.
And in English:
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.
He then gave the blessing to the people.
Choice of name
The choice of the 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 on 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!"
Early days of Papacy Pope Benedict has 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 has used an open
popemobile,
saying that he wants to be closer to the people. Also, his (The official
symbols of a family, state, etc.) coat of arms dropped the papal
tiara which was replaced by a simple (A liturgical headdress worn by
bishops
on formal occasions) mitre. During his inaugural Mass, the previous
custom of all the cardinals submitting was replaced by having 12
people, representing cardinals, clergy, religious, a married couple
and their child, and newly confirmed people, submit to him.
Successor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith On May
13, 2005, Pope Benedict appointed San Francisco metropolitan archbishop
William
Joseph Levada as the next (A chief officer or chief magistrate) Prefect
for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
making Levada the highest ranking American in the church hierarchy.
The Beatification of Pope John Paul II On May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI
started the ((Roman Catholic Church) an act of the Pope who declares
that a deceased person lived a holy life and is worthy of public veneration;
a first step toward canonization) beatification process of Pope John
Paul II. Normally, five years pass before the beatification process
begins,
but due to the popularity of John Paul II, Benedict XVI waived this
custom and officially styled the late pope as Servant of God John Paul
II.