Born Joseph Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Germany, on 16 April 1927, Benedict XVI is the 265th and current pope. Elected on April 19, 2005, he succeeded John Paul II, who died on April 2, 2005
Joseph Ratzinger had a long career as an academic, serving as a professor of theology at various German universities before he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome when he became Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1981. At the time of his election as pope, he was also Dean of the College of Cardinals.
