Pope Benedict XVI resigns as the pope of the Catholic Church, becoming the first pope to do so since Pope Gregory XII, in 1415
Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany, served as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from April 19, 2005, until his resignation on February 28, 2013. He was elected as pope following the death of Pope John Paul II.
Before his papacy, Joseph Ratzinger had a distinguished career as a theologian and academic. He was ordained a priest in 1951 and earned his doctorate in theology from the University of Munich in 1953. Ratzinger became a professor of theology at various universities in Germany, including the University of Bonn, the University of Münster, and the University of Tübingen. He later became a professor at the University of Regensburg, where he taught until 1977.
In 1977, Ratzinger was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising by Pope Paul VI and was later elevated to Cardinal in 1977 by Pope John Paul II. As a cardinal, he served as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a position he held until his election as pope. In this role, he was responsible for ensuring doctrinal orthodoxy within the Catholic Church.
During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized themes of faith, reason, and the importance of the Catholic Church’s tradition. He wrote several encyclicals and other significant documents addressing various theological and social issues. Notably, his first encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est” (God is Love), focused on the Christian understanding of love and charity.
Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation in 2013 came as a surprise to many, making him the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415. Citing advanced age and declining health as reasons for his resignation, he stepped down from the papacy on February 28, 2013.
After his resignation, Pope Benedict XVI retired to a monastery within Vatican City, where he intended to live a life of prayer and reflection. He has largely remained out of the public eye, but his writings and contributions to theology continue to be studied and discussed within the Catholic Church and beyond.