Pope Benedict XVI was born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, and he was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from April 19, 2005 until his resignation on February 28, 2013.

At the age of five, Ratzinger was in a group of children who welcomed the visiting Cardinal Archbishop of Munich with flowers. Struck by the cardinal's distinctive garb, he announced later that day that he wanted to be a cardinal.

Ordained as a priest in 1951 in his native Bavaria, he 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 in 1977.

Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. He chose the pontifical name Benedict, which comes from the Latin word meaning "the blessed."

His writings generally defended traditional Catholic doctrine, values, and liturgy, and were prolific. He was originally a liberal theologian, but adopted conservative views after 1968.

On 11 February 2013, Benedict announced his 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.

Upon his resignation, Pope Benedict then chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus."

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 the French Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques. He played the piano with a preference for the music of Mozart and Bach.

Upon his death, Cardinals around the world released statements of tribute and mourning:

“His life and his pontificate were based in a deep and abiding faith and an extraordinary record of theological scholarship.” All considered him to be an intellectual giant and beloved pastoral figure.

He will be greatly missed.