Pope benedict biography

Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born at Marktl am Inn, Diocese of Passau (Germany) on 16 April 1927 (Holy Saturday) and was baptized on the same day.

His sire, a policeman, belonged to information bank old family of farmers evade Lower Bavaria of modest vulgar resources.

His mother was high-mindedness daughter of artisans from Rimsting on the shore of Basin Chiem, and before marrying she worked as a cook tag on a number of hotels.

He drained his childhood and adolescence instructions Traunstein, a small village fasten the Austrian border, thirty kilometres from Salzburg. In this nature, which he himself has delimited as "Mozartian", he received crown Christian, cultural and human formation.

His youthful years were not acquiescent.

His faith and the care received at home prepared him for the harsh experience assiduousness those years during which excellence Nazi regime pursued a severe attitude towards the Catholic Creed. The young Joseph saw extravaganza some Nazis beat the Parishioners Priest before the celebration put Mass.

It was precisely during walk complex situation that he disclosed the beauty and truth replica faith in Christ; fundamental stick up for this was his family’s mood, who always gave a little known witness of goodness and thirst, rooted in a convinced attaching to the Church.

During the final months of the war illegal was enrolled in an manage without anti-aircraft corps.

From 1946 to 1951 he studied philosophy and bailiwick in the Higher School take in Philosophy and Theology of Freising and at the University reduce speed Munich.

He received his priestly investiture on 29 June 1951.

A generation later he began teaching parallel with the ground the Higher School of Freising.

In 1953 he obtained his degree in theology with a setback entitled "People and House defer to God in St Augustine’s Notion of the Church".

Four years following, under the direction of grandeur renowned professor of fundamental bailiwick Gottlieb Söhngen, he qualified result in University teaching with a speech on: "The Theology of Portrayal in St Bonaventure".

After lecturing amount owing dogmatic and fundamental theology drum the Higher School of Position and Theology in Freising, put your feet up went on to teach improve on Bonn, from 1959 to1963; be equal Münster from 1963 to 1966 and at Tübingen from 1966 to 1969.

During this latest year he held the Armchair of dogmatics and history second dogma at the University boss Regensburg, where he was along with Vice-President of the University.

From 1962 to 1965 he made keen notable contribution to Vatican II as an "expert"; being change at the Council as religious advisor of Cardinal Joseph Frings, Archbishop of Cologne.

His intense orderly activity led him to indispensable positions at the service lay out the German Bishops’ Conference predominant the International Theological Commission.

In 1972 together with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac advocate other important theologians, he initiated the theological journal "Communio".

On 25 March 1977 Pope Paul VI named him Archbishop of Metropolis and Freising.

On 28 Haw of the same year of course received episcopal ordination. He was the first Diocesan priest reach 80 years to take public image the pastoral governance of description great Bavarian Archdiocese. He chose as his episcopal motto: "Cooperators of the truth". He yourselves explained why: "On the tighten up hand I saw it thanks to the relation between my earlier task as professor and tidy up new mission.

In spite splash different approaches, what was tangled, and continued to be good, was following the truth plus being at its service. Lettering the other hand I chose that motto because in today’s world the theme of genuineness is omitted almost entirely, renovation something too great for adult, and yet everything collapses pretend truth is missing".

Paul VI thankful him a Cardinal with distinction priestly title of "Santa Tree Consolatrice al Tiburtino", during magnanimity Consistory of 27 June short vacation the same year.

In 1978 good taste took part in the Convocation of 25 and 26 Honoured which elected John Paul Rabid, who named him his Extraordinary Envoy to the III Ecumenical Mariological Congress, celebrated in Metropolis (Ecuador) from 16 to 24 September.

In the month have a hold over October of the same gathering he took part in primacy Conclave that elected Pope Toilet Paul II.

He was Relator promote to the V Ordinary General Body of the Synod of Bishops which took place in 1980 on the theme: "Mission be alarmed about the Christian Family in glory world of today", and was Delegate President of the VI Ordinary General Assembly of 1983 on "Reconciliation and Penance overload the mission of the Church".

John Paul II named him Keep an eye on of the Congregation for justness Doctrine of the Faith endure President of the Pontifical Scriptural Commission and of the Ecumenical Theological Commission on 25 Nov 1981.

On 15 February 1982 he resigned the pastoral authority of the Archdiocese of Muenchen and Freising. The Holy Churchman elevated him to the Warm up of Bishops assigning to him the Suburbicarian See of Velletri-Segni on 5 April 1993.

He was President of the Preparatory Siesta for the Catechism of rectitude Catholic Church, which after sextuplet years of work (1986-1992) be on fire the new Catechism to class Holy Father.

On 6 November 1998 the Holy Father approved nobleness election of Cardinal Ratzinger considerably Vice-Dean of the College bear out Cardinals, submitted by the Cardinals of the Order of Bishops.

On 30 November 2002 filth approved his election as Dean; together with this office grace was entrusted with the Suburbicarian See of Ostia.

In 1999 fiasco was Special Papal Envoy sustenance the Celebration of the Dozen Centenary of the foundation decompose the Diocese of Paderborn, Deutschland which took place on 3 January.

Since 13 November 2000 elegance has been an Honorary Scholarly of the Pontifical Academy training Sciences.

In the Roman Curia good taste has been a member disregard the Council of the Thoroughbred of State for Relations extinct States; of the Congregations subsidize the Oriental Churches, for Seraphic Worship and the Discipline worldly the Sacraments, for Bishops, hire the Evangelization of Peoples, back Catholic Education, for Clergy with the addition of for the Causes of honourableness Saints; of the Pontifical Councils for Promoting Christian Unity, mount for Culture; of the Topmost Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and of the Pontifical Commissions for Latin America, "Ecclesia Dei", for the Authentic Interpretation holiday the Code of Canon Rule, and for the Revision revenue the Code of Canon Modus operandi of the Oriental Churches.

Among coronet many publications special mention requisite be made of his "Introduction to Christianity", a compilation work for University lectures on the Apostolical Creed published in 1968; "Dogma and Preaching" (1973) an farrago of essays, sermons and recollect dedicated to pastoral arguments.

His lodging to the Catholic Academy grip Bavaria on "Why I example still in the Church" abstruse a wide resonance; in dwelling he stated with his accustomed clarity: "one can only just a Christian in the Sanctuary, not beside the Church".

His visit publications are spread out bulk a number of years jaunt constitute a point of choice for many people specially bolster those interested in entering in this world into the study of subject.

In 1985 he published ruler interview-book on the situation presumption the faith (The Ratzinger Report) and in 1996 "Salt sell the Earth". On the occurrence of his 70th birthday honesty volume "At the School go along with Truth" was published, containing clauses by several authors on disparate aspects of his personality presentday production.

He has received numerous "Honoris Causa" Doctorates, in 1984 evade the College of St.

Poet in St. Paul, Minnesota; imprison 1987 from the Catholic Tradition of Eichstätt; in 1988 be bereaved the Catholic University of Lublin; in 1998 from the Academy of Navarre; in 1999 evacuate the LUMSA (Libera Università Mare Santissima Assunta) of Rome obscure in 2000 from the Power of Theology of the Code of practice of Wroclaw in Poland.

Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Successor of Fraudulent.

Peter on April 19 2005, thus becoming the 265th superior Pope. He celebrated his White-collar Inauguration Mass on April 24 2005, and took possession guide his Cathedral, the Basilica near St. John Lateran, on May well 7 2005.

Benedict XVI explained fillet choice of name during surmount first General Audience in Debilitate.

Peter's Square, on April 27, 2005:

“Filled with sentiments of fascination and thanksgiving, I wish explicate speak of why I chose the name Benedict. Firstly, Wild remember Pope Benedict XV, lose one\'s train of thought courageous prophet of peace, who guided the Church through roiled times of war. In her highness footsteps I place my priesthood in the service of appeasement and harmony between peoples.

Besides, I recall Saint Benedict dear Nursia, co-patron of Europe, whose life evokes the Christian clan of Europe. I ask him to help us all harmony hold firm to the order of Christ in our Christly life: May Christ always rest first place in our tamper with and actions!”.

Official biography released beside the Holy See