Benedict XVI, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013
Credit: © Philip Chidell, Shutterstock

On Saturday, December 31st, former Pope Benedict XVI passed away at the age of 95. Many people worldwide will gather and tune in to watch his funeral on Thursday, January 5th, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Nearly 40,000 people visited the Basilica to pay respects to the late pope on Monday. Benedict was pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013, when he resigned. Benedict succeeded Pope John Paul II. Benedict, a German, was only the second non-Italian pope since Adrian VI of the Netherlands, who held the office from 1522 to 1523. John Paul II of Poland was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian.

Benedict XVI was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn in the German state of Bavaria. He began his religious life at the age of 12 by entering St. Michael’s Seminary in the Bavarian city of Traunstein. During World War II (1939-1945), he was drafted into the German army, serving from 1943 until he deserted in the spring of 1945. He was held for a short time by American forces as a prisoner of war. He began preparing for the priesthood in November 1945.

Ratzinger was ordained a priest in 1951. He earned a Ph.D. in theology at Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich in 1953. As a young theologian, Ratzinger contributed to the work of Vatican Council II (1962-1965). He taught for several years at the universities of Bonn, Munster, and Tubingen, before serving as professor of dogmatic theology and the history of dogma at the University of Regensburg from 1969 to 1977. In March 1977, he became archbishop of Munich and Freising, and three months later, Pope Paul VI appointed him a cardinal.

The daily life of the pope includes meeting with groups of Roman Catholics who visit Rome. In this picture, Benedict XVI greets a gathering of people in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
Credit: © Patrick Hertzog, AFP/Getty Images

Ratzinger resigned as archbishop in 1982 after John Paul II appointed him prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith in 1981. In this position, the cardinal was responsible for reinforcing Catholic orthodoxy—that is, upholding accepted beliefs. In 2002, Ratzinger was elected dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals.

By choosing the name Benedict, the pope placed his pontificate under the inspiration of Saint Benedict of Nursia, the founder of the Benedictine Order. The Benedictines played a major role in the religious and cultural revival of Europe after the West Roman Empire ended in the late 400′s.

Benedict wrote numerous books on theology. They include Introduction to Christianity (1968, new edition 2000), In the Beginning (1990), Called to Communion (1996), Many Religions, One Covenant (1999), The Spirit of the Liturgy (2000), and Values in Times of Upheaval (2005). He discussed his views on the church and related topics in two volumes of interviews, The Ratzinger Report (1985) and Salt of the Earth (1997). He also wrote an autobiography, Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977 (1998).

Benedict resigned as pope in 2013, stating that because of his age, he no longer had the strength to fulfill his duties. He was the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years. He kept the name Benedict XVI and became pope emeritus.

September 9, 2019

Tomorrow, September 10, Pope Francis returns to Rome after a six-day apostolic trip to the east African nation of Mozambique and the nearby island nations of Madagascar and Mauritius—the “Three M’s” of the Indian Ocean. Apostolic is another word for papal or having to do with the pope. Throughout the trip, enthusiastic crowds turned out to welcome the pope, who travelled to the three nations as “a pilgrim of peace, hope, and reconciliation.” Francis has been leader of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013.

Pope Francis is concluding a trip to Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius. Credit: © Giulio Napolitano, Shutterstock

On September 4, Francis arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, where about 40 percent of the people are Catholic. (Madagascar and Mauritius have Catholic populations of roughly 30 percent.) On September 5, the pope visited Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi at the Palácio da Ponta Vermelha (Palace of the Red Point), the president’s official residence. Francis then met with civil and religious authorities and members of the diplomatic corps. He hosted an interreligious prayer meeting with young people before paying a private visit to the “Matthew 25″ House, which helps homeless and impoverished children. On September 6, Francis visited Zimpeto Hospital and celebrated Mass before some 60,000 people at Zimpeto Stadium. (Zimpeto is an area of Maputo.) He then departed for Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.

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Maputo is at the southern tip of Mozambique. Madagascar lies across the Mozambique Channel. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

On September 7, Francis visited President Andry Rajoelina at the Iavoloha Palace just outside Antananarivo. Formal meetings then preceded a prayer service at the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites and a visit to the tomb of the Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo (1848-1894), a Malagasy woman who dedicated her life to helping the poor of Madagascar. Pope John Paul II beatified Rasoamanarivo (declared her among the blessed in heaven) in 1989. On Sept. 8, 2019, Pope Francis celebrated Mass before visiting the Akamasoa City of Friendship foundation for the poor. He led a prayer for workers and met with religious officials before leaving for Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, on September 9.

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Port Louis lies on the west coast of Mauritius. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Francis began his day (today) in Mauritius with a Mass at the Monument of Mary Queen of Peace in Port Louis. The pope then visited the shrine of the French Catholic priest and missionary Père Jacques-Désiré Laval (1803-1864). Laval (also beatified by John Paul II) dedicated his life to helping the poor and sick of Mauritius, and his shrine is said to have miraculous qualities. The day of Laval’s death, September 9—the day of the pope’s visit—is a special day of celebration and reverence for Catholics of the region. Francis then met with Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and acting President Barlen Vyapoory before returning by plane to Antananarivo. Tomorrow, September 10, a final ceremony at Ivato International Airport precedes his scheduled return flight to the Vatican in Rome.

Francis is from Argentina. He is the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit pope. Jesuits are members of a religious order called the Society of Jesus. Francis is known for his commitment to social justice, especially for the poor; his humble lifestyle; and his conservative religious beliefs. Francis visited Panama for World Youth Day in January 2019, and in February he became the first pope to visit the United Arab Emirates. Francis travelled to Morocco in March and to the Balkan states of Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Romania in May and June.

September 8, 2017

On Wednesday, September 6, Pope Francis (Papa Francisco in Spanish) arrived in Bogotá, Colombia, for a five-day apostolic journey to the South American nation. Apostolic is another word for papal or having to do with the pope. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out to welcome the pope, who is particularly popular in the mostly Roman Catholic nations of Latin America. Francis is from Argentina and has been leader of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013.

Pope Francis and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos talk during ceremonies at Casa de Nariño, the presidential palace in Bogotá, Colombia, on Sept.7, 2017. Credit: © Raul Arboleda, AFP/Getty Images

Yesterday, September 7, Francis met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at Casa de Nariño, the presidential palace in Bogotá, where he congratulated the Nobel Peace Prize winner on ending a decades-long civil war between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC formed in the mid-1960′s as a guerrilla group with Communist ideals. Santos oversaw a peace process that culminated in a historic treaty with the FARC in November 2016. A month later, Santos accepted an invitation from Francis and visited the pope at Vatican City. The pope then promised to go to Colombia in return.

The theme of Francis’s Colombian journey is Demos el primer paso (Take the first step), a reference to the peacemaking process in Colombia—which is not yet complete. Violent drug cartels still reign in pockets of the country, and a second revolutionary group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), is still conducting peace talks with the government.

Yesterday afternoon, Francis visited the Catedral Primada (Primary Cathedral) in Bogotá’s teeming Bolívar Square, and he delivered a blessing from the the Cardinal’s Palace next door. Francis then held an outdoor Mass before more than 1 million worshipers at the city’s Simon Bolívar Park. Today, September 8, Pope Francis is in the central city of Villavicencio for a Mass and the beatification of Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve and Pedro María Ramírez Ramos, priests who were both assassinated during times of violence in Colombia. Beatification is the declaration by papal decree that a dead person is among the blessed in heaven and deserves religious honor.

Tomorrow, Francis’s visit to the northwestern city of Medellín will include a Mass and a stop at the Hogar San José orphanage. Francis will wrap up the apostolic journey on Sunday in the Caribbean coast city of Cartagena, where events will include services at the church and plaza of San Pedro Claver. The church contains the preserved remains of San Pedro Claver (1581-1654), a priest who dedicated his life to helping enslaved peoples of Spanish America. He is the patron saint of slaves and also a patron saint of the nation of Colombia.

Francis is the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit pope. Jesuits are members of a religious order called the Society of Jesus. Francis is known for his commitment to social justice, especially for the poor; his humble lifestyle; and his conservative religious beliefs. This was his fifth visit to Latin America since becoming pope. His previous stops were in Brazil; Bolivia, Ecuador, and Paraguay; Cuba; and Mexico.

December 9, 2015

Pope Francis yesterday marked the beginning of the Jubilee of Mercy by opening the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The door usually is bricked over between Jubilees, holy years when the consequences for sinning are thought to be lessened or cancelled. The current Jubilee, which began on December 8 and will end Nov. 20, 2016, is dedicated to the themes of mercy and forgiveness. Its start coincided with the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, as well as the 50th anniversary of the end of Vatican Council II, a council of bishops that enacted progressive reforms in the Roman Catholic Church.

The Holy Door is the northern entrance at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It is bricked over and only opened for Jubilee years in Vatican City. Credit: © Alexander Mazurkevich, Shutterstock

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to mark the event, which followed a Roman Catholic Mass. Prominent attendees included Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and members of Belgium’s royal family. The event took place in an atmosphere of extra security, including a no-fly zone, in the wake of deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.

Opening the Holy Doors of Rome’s cathedrals during Jubilees has been a Roman Catholic tradition for hundreds of years. Passing through the doors gives a person an indulgence, a freeing from punishment for sin. Jubilee years historically have drawn many pilgrims to Rome. In 2015, Pope Francis introduced a new practice. Cathedrals and other places of worship outside Rome were allowed to designate Holy Doors so that more Catholics could participate in the Jubilee at home. During the December 8 Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis said of the Holy Door: “To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them.”

Since being elected pope in 2013, Francis has fostered the idea of a church that is less judgmental and more forgiving, open, and understanding. For the Jubilee, Francis planned to send specially chosen priests throughout the world as “missionaries of mercy” to forgive even serious sins ordinarily forgivable only by the Holy See (office of the pope). Francis also authorized parish priests to absolve (declare free from sin) women who have had an abortion, though the church still considers abortion a serious sin.

Jubilees have their origin in Jewish tradition from Biblical times. The Christian tradition of Jubilees dates back to 1300. The last Roman Catholic Jubilee was held in 2000.

Additional World Book articles:

• Religion (1933) – A Back in Time article
• Religion (1934) – A Back in Time article
• Roman Catholic Church (2001) – A Back in Time article
• Roman Catholic Church (2014) – A Back in Time article

March 13, 2013

After only two days of conclave, the College of Cardinals elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as pope. He is the first non-European elected pope in more than 1,000 years and the first South American ever. Before his election, Bergoglio had been the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital and largest city. He is the 266th pope to serve the Roman Catholic Church and will take the name of Francis, the first Roman Catholic pope of that name.

Thousands of onlookers in the square outside St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City had cheered earlier when a puff of white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday. Cries of Habemus Papam, Latin for We Have a Pope, went up from the crowd as they waited in the rain for the newly chosen pontiff to appear on the balcony of the basilica. The event was broadcast to the crowd via huge televisions in St. Peter’s Square and streamed live via the Vatican’s website.

By selecting the 76-year-old Argentinian, the cardinals hoped to make a connection with the area of the world in which the majority of the world’s Catholics live, the Southern Hemisphere. Pope Francis is a Jesuit (a member of the Society of Jesus) and is considered to be a conservative and an intellectual. Experts reported that poverty is one of his greatest areas of concern.

March 13, 2013

Cardinals vote beneath the painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, completed by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. (Detail of a fresco (1509); SCALA/Art Resource)

Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church entered the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City,  yesterday to begin the conclave—the process of voting for a new pontiff, or pope. The word conclave is from the Latin for a room that may be locked. After a special mass, the monsignor running the conclave announces “Extra omens,” Latin for Everyone out. The voting cardinals are then locked into the Sistine Chapel. Cardinals have attended the conclave in the Sistine Chapel since 1492.

Of the more than 200 men in the College of Cardinals, the group that votes for a new pope, only 115 were eligible to vote in 2013. Cardinals who were age 80 or older on the day that Pope Benedict XVI resigned, February 28, 2013, may not vote in the conclave.

Before they enter the conclave, the cardinals swear an oath of secrecy about the proceedings. Cardinals caught breaking the oath are excommunicated. In addition, in 2013, the chapel was carefully checked for listening devices and devices that jam electronic communication were installed.

In 1268, cardinals took nearly three years before finally choosing Gregory X as pope. Since the early 1900′s, however, no conclave has lasted more than a few days.

After the first day of the conclave, the cardinals vote four times per day until two-thirds of them have agreed on a candidate. The vote is taken on paper ballots, and after the ballots are counted they are burned. The smoke rising from the chimney of the chapel indicates to the outside world whether a new pope has been chosen. Chemicals are added to the ballots to make the smoke appear black or white. Black smoke indicates that no candidate won the election. White smoke issued from the chimney announces the election of a new pope.

The election of a pope is announced to the outside world by white smoke emerging from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. (Francois Lochon, Gamma/Liaison)

Once a pope is chosen, he has a little time to pray and choose his new name. Then, he dons his new robes. Because the papal tailors do not know who will next wear these robes, they provide a complete set of  clothing and shoes in different sizes.

When the pope is ready, he makes his first appearance to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Additional World Book articles:

• Pope
• Vatican City

Another website of interest:

• Vatican: The Holy See

February 11, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI summoned a meeting of cardinals in Vatican City and announced that he would step down from his role as leader of the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.2 billion members on February 28, 2013. The pontiff stated that his age and deteriorating strength no longer permitted him to perform his papal duties.  Vatican officials and Roman Catholics around the world were stunned by the news. Centuries have elapsed since a pope resigned from office. The last was Gregory XII, who left office under pressure in 1415 to end what is known as the Great Schism–a period of civil war within the church when three different men each claimed to be pope. The last voluntary resignation by a pope was even longer ago, when Celestine V abdicated in 1294.

After Benedict’s resignation takes effect, cardinals will gather at a conclave in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.  Of the 118 cardinals currently eligible to vote, two-thirds of them must agree on a candidate for that man to become pope. Church officials hoped that a new pope could be chosen by Easter (March 31) of 2013.

Benedict XVI at his inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square in 2005 (© Franco Origlia, Getty Images)

Benedict had served as pope for fewer than eight years. Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, he was appointed as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 1977.

He was elected the 265th pope in 2005 and took the name of Benedict. At age 78, he was one of the oldest men elected to the papacy. Benedict held office during a difficult time in the history of the modern church. His papacy was dogged by controversy, particularly the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy members. When he was a cardinal, Benedict had been head of the church’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office that oversees such priestly abuse. As pope, Benedict apologized for any harm done to children abused by Catholic clergy.

Additional World Book articles:

• Roman Catholic Church
• John Paul II 1920-2005 (a special report)

Another website of interest:

• Vatican: The Holy See