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92-685: Preparations for the World Youth Day began in September 2004. A 10-m (33-ft) Pope Hill (German: Papsthügel ) was constructed since April 2005, so Pope Benedict XVI could be visible amidst an estimated 1 to 2 million visitors when he presided over the festival's concluding Sunday Mass on August 21, 2005. An altar was built at the top of the hill, which was christened the Mountain of the 70 Nations by Cardinal Meisner , because little pieces of earth were brought from church delegates of 70 countries. The hill

184-545: A Catholic theologian is typically called a "notification". When the Supreme Sacred Congregation for the Roman and Universal Inquisition was first established in 1542, it was composed of several Cardinal Inquisitors styled as "Inquisitors-General", who were formally equal to each other, even if some of them were clearly dominant (e.g. Cardinal Gian Pietro Carafa from 1542, who was elected Pope Paul IV in 1555). Until 1968

276-694: A ceremony held at the Vatican on 3 June 2007. Preca is the first Maltese saint since the country's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 60 when St. Paul converted the inhabitants. In October 2008, the following canonizations took place: Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception of India, Gaetano Errico , Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran , and Maria Bernarda Bütler . In April 2009, the Pope canonized Arcangelo Tadini , Bernardo Tolomei , Nuno Álvares Pereira , Geltrude Comensoli , and Caterina Volpicelli . In October of

368-458: A child. He recalled: "at the moment the elderly Archbishop laid his hands on me, a little bird – perhaps a lark – flew up from the altar in the high cathedral and trilled a little joyful song". He celebrated his first Mass later that summer in Traunstein, at St. Oswald's Church. Ratzinger's 1953 dissertation was on Augustine of Hippo and was titled The People and

460-527: A departure from traditional Catholic teachings. Despite his reformist bent, his views increasingly came to contrast with the liberal ideas gaining currency in theological circles. He was invited by Rev. Theodore Hesburgh to join the theology faculty at the University of Notre Dame , but declined on grounds that his English was not good enough. Some voices, among them Küng, deemed this period in Ratzinger's life

552-399: 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

644-431: A hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. "Friendship with Jesus Christ" was a frequent theme of Benedict's preaching. He stressed that on this intimate friendship, "everything depends". He also said: "We are all called to open ourselves to this friendship with God ... speaking to Him as to a friend, the only One who can make the world both good and happy ... That

736-774: A mass that marked the conclusion of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and the Year of the Eucharist . Benedict canonized Bishop Rafael Guízar y Valencia , Théodore Guérin , Filippo Smaldone , and Rosa Venerini on 15 October 2006. During his visit to Brazil in 2007, Benedict presided over the canonization of Frei Galvão on 11 May, while George Preca , founder of the Malta-based MUSEUM , Szymon of Lipnica , Charles of Mount Argus , and Marie-Eugénie de Jésus were canonized in

828-787: A new version of the "Norms on the Delicts Reserved to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith"; the original version had been first promulgated in 2001 by John Paul II and amended in 2010 by Benedict XVI. The changes of the new version concern "harmonising the norms with the revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, which was promulgated in May 2021" and adding "numerous normative measures of various kinds issued in previous years, especially since 2016." Until 1968,

920-506: A nun working with lepers in what is now the state of Hawaii; Giovanni Battista Piamarta , an Italian priest; Jacques Berthieu , a French Jesuit priest and African martyr ; Carmen Salles y Barangueras , a Spanish nun and founder of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception; Peter Calungsod , a lay catechist and martyr from the Philippines; and Anna Schäffer , whose desire to be a missionary

1012-670: A staff of 16 full-time officials. On his appointment as prefect, Cardinal Fernández was instructed to focus on the Dicastery's doctrinal work and leave the disciplinary section alone. Jus novum ( c.  1140 -1563) Jus novissimum ( c.  1563 -1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of

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1104-517: A staff of 38 (clerical and lay) and 26 consultors. The work of the CDF is divided into two sections, the doctrinal and the disciplinary. The CDF holds biennial plenary assemblies, and issues documents on doctrinal, disciplinary, and sacramental questions that occasionally include notifications concerning writings by Catholic theologians. The disciplinary section has responsibility for dealing with credible allegations against clergy. Archbishop Kennedy leads

1196-580: A subject of controversy during the sex abuse cases . For 20 years, Ratzinger had been the man in charge of enforcing the document. While bishops hold the secrecy pertained only internally, and did not preclude investigation by civil law enforcement, the letter was often seen as promoting a coverup. Later, as pope, he was accused in a lawsuit of conspiring to cover up the molestation of three boys in Texas , but sought and obtained diplomatic immunity from liability. On 12 March 1983, Ratzinger, as prefect, notified

1288-518: A turn towards conservatism, while Ratzinger himself said in a 1993 interview, "I see no break in my views as a theologian [over the years]". Ratzinger continued to defend the work of the Second Vatican Council, including Nostra aetate , the document on respect of other religions, ecumenism , and the declaration of the right to freedom of religion . Later, as the Prefect of the Congregation for

1380-506: A well-known academic theologian of the Nouvelle théologie and a proponent of Church reform. In 1966, Ratzinger was appointed to 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 he downplayed

1472-556: Is all we have to do is put ourselves at His disposal ... is an extremely important message. It is a message that helps to overcome what can be considered the great temptation of our time: the claim, that after the Big Bang , God withdrew from history." Thus, in his book Jesus of Nazareth , his main purpose was "to help foster [in the reader] the growth of a living relationship" with Jesus Christ. He took up this theme in his first encyclical Deus caritas est . In his explanation and summary of

1564-449: Is contradictory to the modern acclamation of science whose excellence is based on the power of reason to know the truth. He said that this self-amputation of reason leads to pathologies of religion such as terrorism and pathologies of science such as ecological disasters . Benedict traced the failed revolutions and violent ideologies of the 20th century to a conversion of partial points of view into absolute guides. He said "Absolutizing what

1656-495: Is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." The document angered many Protestant churches by claiming that they are not churches, but "ecclesial communities". Ratzinger's 2001 letter De delictis gravioribus clarified the confidentiality of internal church investigations, as defined in the 1962 document Crimen sollicitationis , into accusations made against priests of certain crimes, including sexual abuse . This became

1748-545: Is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism." In the discussion with secularism and rationalism , one of Benedict's basic ideas can be found in his address on the "Crisis of Culture" in the West, a day before Pope John Paul   II died, when he referred to Christianity as the "religion of the Logos " (the Greek for "word", "reason", "meaning", or "intelligence"). He said: From

1840-790: Is still informally known as the Holy Office ( Latin : Sanctum Officium ) in many Catholic countries . The sole objective of the dicastery is to "spread sound Catholic doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines." Its headquarters are at the Palace of the Holy Office , just outside Vatican City . The congregation employs an advisory board including cardinals , bishops , priests , lay theologians , and canon lawyers . On 1 July 2023, Pope Francis named Argentine archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández as prefect, who took possession of

1932-524: Is still the most influential writing regarding the monastic life of Western Christianity . The Pope explained his choice of name during his first general audience in St. Peter's Square, on 27 April 2005: 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

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2024-541: The Augsburg Confession might be recognised as a Catholic statement of faith. Several of Benedict's former students became his confidantes, notably Christoph Schönborn , and a number of his former students sometimes meet for discussions. He served as vice-president of the University of Regensburg from 1976 to 1977. On 26 May 1976, he was appointed a Prelate of Honour of His Holiness . On 24 March 1977, Ratzinger

2116-670: The Communion and Liberation movement in the New Evangelization encouraged under the papacy of the Polish Pope John Paul ;II . Ratzinger wrote an introduction to a 1996 reissue of Guardini's 1954 The Lord . Ratzinger began as assistant pastor (curate) at the parish St. Martin, Moosach , in Munich in 1951. Ratzinger became a professor at the University of Bonn in 1959, with his inaugural lecture on "The God of Faith and

2208-723: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , one of the most important dicasteries of the Roman Curia . From 2002 until he was elected pope, he was also Dean of the College of Cardinals . Before becoming pope, he had been "a major figure on the Vatican stage for a quarter of a century"; he had had an influence "second to none when it came to setting church priorities and directions" as one of John Paul II 's closest confidants. Benedict's writings were prolific and generally defended traditional Catholic doctrine, values, and liturgy . He

2300-460: The Counter-Reformation . This body was renamed the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office in 1908 by Pope Pius X . In many Catholic countries , the body is often informally called the Holy Office (e.g., Italian : Sant'Uffizio and Spanish : Santo Oficio ). The congregation's name was changed to Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (SCDF) on 7 December 1965, at

2392-534: The Diocese of Rome and the official responsible for promoting the cause for canonization of any person who dies within that diocese, cited "exceptional circumstances" which suggested that the waiting period could be waived. (This had happened before, when Pope Paul   VI waived the five-year rule and announced beatification processes for two of his own predecessors, Pope Pius XII and Pope John XXIII . Benedict   XVI followed this precedent when he waived

2484-589: The European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Salzburg. Ratzinger defended and reaffirmed Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as birth control , homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. The theologian Leonardo Boff , for example, was suspended, while others such as Matthew Fox were censured. Other issues also prompted condemnations or revocations of rights to teach: for instance, some posthumous writings of Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello were

2576-614: The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace under a single president, Cardinal Renato Martino . When Martino retired in 2009, each council received its own president once again. Also in March 2006, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue was briefly merged into the Pontifical Council for Culture under Cardinal Paul Poupard . Those Councils maintained their separate officials and staffs while their status and competencies continued unchanged, and in May 2007, Interreligious Dialogue

2668-692: The Sistine Chapel at the beginning of each year, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord , in his pastoral role as Bishop of Rome . During his pontificate, Benedict   XVI beatified 870 people. On 9 May 2005, Benedict   XVI began the beatification process for his predecessor, Pope John Paul   II. Normally, five years must pass after a person's death before the beatification process can begin. However, in an audience with Benedict, Camillo Ruini , vicar general of

2760-661: The Tridentine Mass . He strengthened the relationship between the Catholic Church and art , promoted the use of Latin , and reintroduced traditional papal vestments , for which reason he was called "the pope of aesthetics". He also established personal ordinariates , for former Anglicans and Methodists , joining the Catholic Church. Benedict's handling of sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church and opposition to usage of condoms in areas of high HIV transmission

2852-456: The UEFA Euro 2024 . 50°53′N 6°44′E  /  50.883°N 6.733°E  / 50.883; 6.733 Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict   XVI ( Latin : Benedictus PP. XVI ; Italian : Benedetto XVI ; German : Benedikt XVI ; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger , German: [ˈjoːzɛf ˈʔaːlɔɪ̯s ˈʁat͡sɪŋɐ] ; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of

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2944-504: The University of Munich . The intellectual affinity between these two thinkers, who would later become decisive figures for the twentieth-century Catholic Church , was preoccupied with rediscovering the essentials of Christianity: Guardini wrote his 1938 The Essence of Christianity , while Ratzinger penned Introduction to Christianity , three decades later in 1968. Guardini inspired many in the Catholic social-democratic tradition, particularly

3036-452: The University of Regensburg and co-founded the theological journal Communio , with Hans Urs von Balthasar , Henri de Lubac , Walter Kasper , and others, in 1972. Communio , now published in seventeen languages, including German, English, and Spanish, has become a prominent journal of contemporary Catholic theological thought. Until he was elected pope, he remained one of the journal's most prolific contributors. In 1976, he suggested that

3128-525: The Vatican Library , but John Paul refused his assent. Ratzinger engaged in a dialogue with critical theorist Jürgen Habermas in 2004, published three years later by Ignatius Press . In April 2005, before his election as pope, Ratzinger was identified as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time . While Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger repeatedly stated he would like to retire to his house in

3220-469: The pope held the title of prefect and appointed a cardinal to preside over the meetings, first as Secretary, then as Pro-Prefect. Since 1968, the Cardinal head of the dicastery has borne the title of Prefect and the title of Secretary refers to the second highest-ranking officer of the Congregation. As of 2012 the Congregation had a membership of 18 cardinals and a smaller number of non-cardinal bishops,

3312-459: The 1988 Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor bonus , article 48, promulgated by John Paul II: "The proper duty of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is to promote and safeguard the doctrine on faith and morals in the whole Catholic world; so it has competence in things that touch this matter in any way." This includes investigations into grave delicts (i.e., acts which

3404-471: The Bavarian village of Pentling near Regensburg and dedicate himself to writing books. At the papal conclave , "it was, if not Ratzinger, who? And as they came to know him, the question became, why not Ratzinger?" On 19 April 2005, he was elected on the second day after four ballots. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor described the final vote, "It's very solemn when you go up one by one to put your vote in

3496-556: 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 as " Pope emeritus " upon his resignation, and he retained this title until his death in 2022. Ordained as a priest in 1951 in his native Bavaria , Ratzinger embarked on an academic career and established himself as

3588-558: The Catholic Church considers as being the most serious crimes: crimes against the Eucharist and against the sanctity of the Sacrament of Penance, and crimes against the sixth Commandment ("Thou shalt not commit adultery")) committed by a cleric against a person under the age of eighteen. These crimes, in Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela a motu proprio of 2001, come under the competency of

3680-604: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In effect, it is the "promoter of justice" that deals with, among other things, the question of priests accused of paedophilia . Within the DDF are the International Theological Commission and the Pontifical Biblical Commission . The Prefect of the DDF is ex officio president of these commissions. On 7 December 2021, Pope Francis promulgated

3772-505: The Doctrine of the Faith , Ratzinger most clearly spelled out the Catholic Church's position on other religions in the 2000 document Dominus Iesus which also talks about the Catholic way to engage in " ecumenical dialogue". During his time at Tübingen University, Ratzinger published articles in the reformist theological journal Concilium , though he increasingly chose less reformist themes than other contributors such as Küng and Schillebeeckx. In 1969, Ratzinger returned to Bavaria , to

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3864-563: The Faith The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith ( DDF ) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church . The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia . Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome . It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible for promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine. This institution

3956-404: The Faith , formerly known as the "Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office ", the historical Roman Inquisition . Consequently, he resigned from his post in Munich in early 1982. He was promoted within the College of Cardinals to become Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni in 1993 and was made the college's vice-dean in 1998 and dean in 2002. Just a year after its foundation in 1990, Ratzinger joined

4048-564: The French Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques . He played the piano and had a preference for Mozart and Bach . Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born on 16 April, Holy Saturday , 1927 at Schulstraße 11 at 8:30 in the morning in his parents' home in Marktl , Bavaria, Germany. He was baptised the same day. He was the third and youngest child of Joseph Ratzinger Sr., a police officer, and Maria Ratzinger ( née  Peintner ); his grand-uncle

4140-639: The German infantry. As the Allied front drew closer to his post in 1945, he deserted back to his family's home in Traunstein after his unit had ceased to exist, just as American troops established a headquarters in the Ratzinger household. As a German soldier, he was interned in US prisoner of war camps, first in Neu-Ulm, then at Fliegerhorst ("military airfield") Bad Aibling (shortly to be repurposed as Bad Aibling Station ) where he

4232-531: The God of Philosophy". In 1963, he moved to the University of Münster . During this period, he participated in the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) and served as a peritus (theological consultant) to Cardinal Frings of Cologne . He was viewed during the time of the council as a reformer, cooperating with theologians like Hans Küng and Edward Schillebeeckx . Ratzinger became an admirer of Karl Rahner ,

4324-635: The House of God in Augustine's Doctrine of the Church . His habilitation (which qualified him for a professorship) was on Bonaventure . It was completed in 1957 and he became a professor at Freising College in 1958. In his early twenties, Ratzinger was deeply influenced by the thought of Italian German philosopher Romano Guardini , who taught in Munich from 1946 to 1951 when Ratzinger was studying in Freising and later at

4416-742: The Latin word meaning "the blessed", in honour of both Benedict XV and Benedict of Nursia . Benedict   XV was pope during the First World War, during which time he passionately pursued peace between the warring nations. St. Benedict of Nursia was the founder of the Benedictine monasteries (most monasteries of the Middle Ages were of the Benedictine order) and the author of the Rule of Saint Benedict , which

4508-527: The Pope himself presided over the Congregation. However, from 1564 the daily administration of the affairs of the Congregation was entrusted to the Cardinal Secretary. This model was retained when the Inquisition was formally renamed as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office in 1908. Unless stated otherwise, the term of office ended with the officeholder's death. When Pope Paul VI changed

4600-624: The announcement of the prior day, Wir Sind Papst ( We are Pope ). At the balcony, Benedict's first words to the crowd, given in Italian before he gave the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing in Latin, were: Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul   II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord. The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with insufficient instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In

4692-713: The beatification of John Henry Newman . Unlike his predecessor, Benedict delegated the beatification liturgical service to a cardinal. On 29 September 2005, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued a communiqué announcing that henceforth beatifications would be celebrated by a representative of the pope, usually the prefect of that Congregation. During his pontificate, Benedict   XVI canonized 45 people. He celebrated his first canonizations on 23 October 2005 in St. Peter's Square when he canonized Josef Bilczewski , Alberto Hurtado , Zygmunt Gorazdowski , Gaetano Catanoso , and Felice da Nicosia . The canonizations were part of

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4784-579: The beginning, Christianity has understood itself as the religion of the Logos , as the religion according to reason ... It has always defined men, all men without distinction, as creatures and images of God, proclaiming for them ... the same dignity. In this connection, the Enlightenment is of Christian origin and it is no accident that it was born precisely and exclusively in the realm of the Christian faith. ... It

4876-438: The centrality of the papacy. During this time, he distanced himself from the atmosphere of Tübingen and the Marxist leanings of the student movement of the 1960s that quickly radicalized, 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 (such as decreasing respect for authority among his students) as connected to

4968-503: The doors for Christ!", Benedict said: Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? ... And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful, and great. No! Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. ... When we give ourselves to Him, we receive

5060-412: The encyclical, he stated: "If friendship with God becomes for us something ever more important and decisive, then we will begin to love those whom God loves and who are in need of us. God wants us to be friends of His friends and we can be so, if we are interiorly close to them." Thus, he said that prayer is "urgently needed ... It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and

5152-455: The end of the Second Vatican Council . Soon after the 1983 Code of Canon Law came into effect, the adjective "sacred" was dropped from the names of all Curial Congregations, and so it became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In 2022, the name was changed to Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith . On September 23, 2024, Pope Francis appointed 28 Italian new consultors of the dicastery. Former dicasteries According to

5244-475: The faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Election of the Roman Pontiff Academic degrees Journals and Professional Societies Faculties of canon law Canonists Institute of consecrated life Society of apostolic life The following is a non-exhaustive list of recent documents and judgments issued by the DDF. Lengthy DDF documents usually have Latin titles. A short document that briefly states objections to one or more writings by

5336-425: The first Australian saint, Mary MacKillop . On 23 October 2011, he canonized three saints: a Spanish nun Bonifacia Rodríguez y Castro , Italian archbishop Guido Maria Conforti , and Italian priest Luigi Guanella . In December 2011, the Pope formally recognized the validity of the miracles necessary to proceed with the canonizations of Kateri Tekakwitha , who would be the first Native American saint; Marianne Cope,

5428-431: The five-year rule for John Paul   II. ) The decision was announced on 13 May 2005, the Feast of Our Lady of Fátima and the 24th anniversary of the attempt on John Paul   II's life. John Paul   II often credited Our Lady of Fátima for preserving him on that day. Cardinal Ruini inaugurated the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification in the Lateran Basilica on 28 June 2005. The first beatification under

5520-426: The growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Continuing what he said in the pre-conclave Mass about what he often referred to as the "central problem of our faith today", on 6 June 2005, Benedict also said: Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of education is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativism which, recognising nothing as definitive, leaves as

5612-497: The joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help, let us move forward. The Lord will help us, and Mary, His Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you. On 24 April, Benedict celebrated the Papal Inauguration Mass in St. Peter's Square , during which he was invested with the Pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman . On 7 May, he took possession of his cathedral church, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran . Benedict   XVI chose his papal name , which comes from

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5704-412: The lay faithful and the clergy that Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục had incurred excommunication latae sententiae for illicit episcopal consecrations without the apostolic mandate. In 1997, when he turned 70, Ratzinger asked Pope John Paul   II for permission to leave the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith and to become an archivist in the Vatican Secret Archives and a librarian in

5796-411: The name of the dicastery on 7 December 1965, he changed the title of the cardinal in charge of the daily administration of the Congregation from Secretary to Pro-Prefect. He continued to reserve the title of Prefect to himself until 1968 when he relinquished his role as head of the Congregation and named a Prefect . With the December 1965 reorganization of the Holy Office as the Sacred Congregation for

5888-420: The new pope was celebrated on 14 May 2005, by José Cardinal Saraiva Martins , Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints . The new Blesseds were Marianne Cope and Ascensión Nicol Goñi . Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen was beatified on 9 October 2005. Mariano de la Mata was beatified in November 2006 and Rosa Eluvathingal was beatified on 3 December of that year, and Basil Moreau

5980-480: The office in mid-September. On 21 July 1542, Pope Paul III proclaimed the Apostolic Constitution Licet ab initio , establishing the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , staffed by cardinals and other officials whose task it was "to maintain and defend the integrity of the faith and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines." It served as the final court of appeal in trials of heresy and served as an important part of

6072-413: The parish church of Frechen-Grefrath (2 km from Marienfeld), where it remains on display. The area used for the World Youth day celebrations should not be confused with the town of Marienfeld in the Gutersloh district of Germany, where the Portugal national football team stayed and which was used as a training area for the team during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and chosen again by it as its base for

6164-458: The pope was replaced by being greeted by twelve people, including cardinals, clergy, religious, a married couple and their child, and some who were newly confirmed people; the cardinals had formally sworn their obedience upon the election of the new pontiff. He began using an open-topped papal car , saying that he wanted to be closer to the people. Benedict continued the tradition of his predecessor John Paul   II and baptised several infants in

6256-444: The present Marienfeld, then near the town of Grefrath . It was moved in 1730 by the nuns from the nearby convent of Bottenbroich to the parish church of Bottenbroich, the Church of the Assumption of Mary (St. Maria Himmelfahrt), an old church (built between 1479 and 1484) located in part of what is now Marienfeld. In 1948, the church was demolished, partly due to heavy damage sustained during World War II and partly as part of

6348-431: The resettlement of the town of Bottenbroich to make way for an open-pit lignite mine being opened on the site. The parishes of Bottenbroich and Grefrath were combined, and the Pietà was moved to a new parish church in Grefrath, built in 1949. However, Grefrath itself was gradually resettled between 1952 and 1965 to make way for the expansion of the lignite mine, so the Pietà was moved again in 1963 to its present location at

6440-401: The same year he canonized Jeanne Jugan , Damien de Veuster , Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński , Francisco Coll Guitart , and Rafael Arnáiz Barón . On 17 October 2010, Benedict canonized André Bessette , a French-Canadian; Stanisław Sołtys , a 15th-century Polish priest; Italian nuns Giulia Salzano and Camilla Battista da Varano ; Spanish nun Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola ; and

6532-420: The service of reconciliation and harmony between peoples. Additionally, I recall Saint Benedict of Nursia, 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! During Benedict's inaugural Mass, the previous custom of every cardinal submitting to

6624-544: The students were all sent home. Ratzinger returned to Traunstein. Ratzinger's family, especially his father, bitterly resented the Nazis , and his father's opposition to Nazism resulted in demotions and harassment of the family. Following his 14th birthday in 1941, Ratzinger was conscripted into the Hitler Youth  – as membership was required by law for all 14-year-old German boys after March 1939  – but

6716-419: The subject of a notification . Ratzinger and the congregation viewed many of them, particularly the later works, as having an element of religious indifferentism (in other words, that Christ was "one master alongside others"). In particular, Dominus Iesus , published by the congregation in the jubilee year 2000, reaffirmed many recently "unpopular" ideas, including the Catholic Church's position that "salvation

6808-514: The time of the 2005 conclave , he was one of only fourteen remaining cardinals appointed by Paul   VI, and one of only three of those under the age of 80. Of these, only he and William Wakefield Baum took part in the conclave. On 25 November 1981, Pope John Paul   II, upon the retirement of Franjo Šeper , named Ratzinger as the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of

6900-421: The ultimate criterion only the self with its desires. And under the semblance of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his or her own ego. Benedict said that "a dictatorship of relativism" was the core challenge facing the Church and humanity. At the root of this problem, he said, is Immanuel Kant 's "self-limitation of reason". This, he said,

6992-532: The urn and you're looking up at the Last Judgement of Michelangelo . And I still remember vividly the then Cardinal Ratzinger sitting on the edge of his chair." 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." The day following Ratzinger's election, the German newspaper Bild ran what would become one of its most iconic headlines in response to

7084-533: The visiting Cardinal Archbishop of Munich, Michael von Faulhaber , with flowers. Struck by the cardinal's distinctive garb, he announced later that day that he wanted to be a cardinal . He attended the elementary school in Aschau am Inn , which was renamed in his honour in 2009. In 1939, aged 12, he enrolled in a minor seminary in Traunstein . This period lasted until the seminary was closed for military use in 1942, and

7176-405: The world comes from reason, and is, as a consequence, its criterion and goal ... In the so necessary dialogue between secularists and Catholics, we Christians must be very careful to remain faithful to this fundamental line: to live a faith that comes from the Logos , from creative reason, and that, because of this, is also open to all that is truly rational. Congregation for the Doctrine of

7268-498: Was an unenthusiastic member who refused to attend meetings, according to his brother. In 1941, one of Ratzinger's cousins, a 14-year-old boy with Down syndrome , was taken away by the Nazi regime and murdered during the Aktion T4 campaign of Nazi eugenics . In 1943, while still in seminary, he was drafted into the German anti-aircraft corps as Luftwaffenhelfer . Ratzinger then trained in

7360-419: Was and is the merit of the Enlightenment to have again proposed these original values of Christianity and of having given back to reason its own voice ... Today, this should be precisely [Christianity's] philosophical strength, in so far as the problem is whether the world comes from the irrational, and reason is not other than a 'sub-product,' on occasion even harmful of its development – or whether

7452-492: Was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising , and was ordained a bishop on 28 May. He took as his episcopal motto Cooperatores veritatis ( Latin for 'cooperators of the truth'), from the Third Epistle of John , a choice on which he commented in his autobiographical work Milestones . In the consistory of 27 June 1977, he was named Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino by Pope Paul VI . By

7544-725: Was at the time of Victory in Europe Day , and released on 19 June 1945. Ratzinger and his brother Georg entered Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein in November 1945, later studying at the Ducal Georgianum ( Herzogliches Georgianum ) of the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. They were both ordained in Freising on 29 June 1951 by Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber of Munich – the same man Ratzinger had met as

7636-527: Was beatified in September 2007. In October 2008, the following beatifications took place: Celestine of the Mother of God , Giuseppina Nicoli, Hendrina Stenmanns, Maria Rosa Flesch, Marta Anna Wiecka, Michael Sopocko , Petrus Kibe Kasui and 187 Companions , Susana Paz-Castillo Ramírez , and Maria Isbael Salvat Romero. On 19 September 2010, during his visit to the United Kingdom , Benedict personally proclaimed

7728-475: Was built by Bilfinger Berger AG , which poured over 80,000 m (2.8 million cu. ft) of earth carried in around 200 trucks per day. The name Marienfeld is derived from a Pietà sculpted in 1420 from French limestone that has been a destination for pilgrims seeking to venerate the Virgin Mary for centuries. The sculpture has moved numerous times. It was first placed in a chapel at a location around 1 km from

7820-468: Was founded by Pope Paul III on 21 July 1542, as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition . It was then renamed in 1908 as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office . In 1965, it became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF; Latin : Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei ). Since 2022, it is named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It

7912-449: Was originally a liberal theologian but adopted conservative views after 1968. During his papacy, Benedict advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increased secularisation of many Western countries . He viewed relativism 's denial of objective truth , and the denial of moral truths in particular, as the central problem of the 21st century. Benedict also revived several traditions and permitted greater use of

8004-669: Was restored to its separate status again with its own president. In June 2010, Benedict created the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization , appointing Archbishop Rino Fisichella its first president. On 16 January 2013, the Pope transferred responsibility for catechesis from the Congregation for the Clergy to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. As pope, one of Benedict's main roles

8096-420: Was substantially criticised by public health officials, anti-AIDS activists, and victim's rights organizations. On 11 February 2013, Benedict announced his (effective 28 February 2013) resignation, citing a "lack of strength of mind and body" due to his advanced age. His resignation was the first by a pope since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first on a pope's initiative since Celestine V in 1294. He

8188-511: Was succeeded by Francis on 13 March 2013 and moved into the newly renovated Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City for his retirement. In addition to his native German language, Benedict had some level of proficiency in French, Italian, English, and Spanish. He also knew Portuguese , Latin, Biblical Hebrew , and Biblical Greek . He was a member of several social science academies, such as

8280-540: Was the German priest-politician Georg Ratzinger . His mother's family was originally from South Tyrol (now in Italy). Benedict's elder brother, Georg , became a Catholic priest and was the former director of the Regensburger Domspatzen choir. His sister, Maria, who never married, managed her brother Joseph's household until she died in 1991. At the age of five, Ratzinger was in a group of children who welcomed

8372-561: Was to teach about the Catholic faith and the solutions to the problems of discerning and living the faith, a role that he could play well as a former head of the Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. (The main points of emphasis of his teachings are stated in more detail in Theology of Pope Benedict XVI .) After his first homily as pope, Benedict referred to both Jesus Christ and John Paul   II. Citing John Paul   II's well-known words, "Do not be afraid! Open wide

8464-451: Was unfulfilled on account of her illness. They were canonized on 21 October 2012. On 7 October 2012, Benedict named Hildegard of Bingen and John of Ávila as Doctors of the Church , the 34th and 35th individuals so recognized in the history of Christianity. Benedict made only modest changes to the structure of the Roman Curia. In March 2006, he placed both the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples and

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