Pope Benedict XVI

Born: 1927-04-16

Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, German: [ˈjoːzɛf ʔaˈlɔʏzi̯ʊs ˈʁatsɪŋɐ]; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus" upon his resignation. Ordained as a priest in 1951 in his native Bavaria, Ratzinger embarked on an academic career and established himself as a highly regarded theologian by the late 1950s. He was appointed a full professor in 1958 at the age of 31. After a long career as a professor of theology at several German universities, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and created a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977, an unusual promotion for someone with little pastoral experience. In 1981, he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the most important dicasteries of the Roman Curia. From 2002 until his election as pope, he was also Dean of the College of Cardinals. Prior to becoming pope, he was "a major figure on the Vatican stage for a quarter of a century"; he had an influence "second to none when it came to setting church priorities and directions" as one of John Paul II's closest confidants. He lived in Rome from 1981 until his death in 2022. Description above from the Wikipedia article Pope Benedict XVI, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


Placeholder

The Two Popes

as Himself (archive footage)
Released: 2019-11-27

Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in...

Movie page

Deliver Us from Evil

as Himself (archive footage)
Released: 2006-06-24

Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady...

Movie page

Hostage to the Devil

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2016-10-31

This documentary examines age-old questions about the existence of the Devil and good versus...

Movie page

Propaganda

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2013-02-14

An anti-western propaganda film about the influences of American visual and consumption culture...

Movie page

Francesco

as Self
Released: 2020-10-25

Francesco takes an unsparing look at the most pressing challenges of the 21st-century, asking...

Movie page

Der Unbequeme - Joseph Ratzinger, der Glaube und die Welt von heute

as Himself
Released: 2017-04-12

Joseph Ratzinger - Pope Benedict XVI: What led a gendarme's son from Marktl am Inn to the most...

Movie page

Drawn This Way

as Self - Pope Emeritus (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 2019-05-10

From Tom of Finland to Bugs Bunny in a dress – animation has been a place where artists can...

Movie page

Pope Benedict XVI

as Self
Released: 2007-10-07

The story of Joseph Ratzinger from his place of birth in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany, to his...

Movie page

Francesco und der Papst

as Himself
Released: 2011-04-21

Movie page

The Accused: Damned or Devoted?

as uncredited
Released: 2020-02-23

Against the backdrop of Pakistan's elections, this film follows the rise of powerful cleric...

Movie page

Con Artist

as Self
Released: 2010-11-12

A docu-comedy feature film about a once-famous millionaire "business artist" forced to confront...

Movie page

Joseph Ratzinger: The Courage to Believe

as Himself
Released: 1985-07-01

An interview by Anna Maria Federici with then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in June 1985, created...

Movie page