Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was chosen to succeed Pope John Paul II in 2005 — a selection many observers at the time ... Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005, two weeks after the death of John ...

He was the first pope to resign from his position since Gregory XII in 1415. During his time in the office of Pope, Benedict XVI made strides ... Just Before the Pope's Death.

That gap came at a critical time for the church ... door for his successors to find a graceful exit short of death. Pope Benedict XVI reads his resignation in Latin during a meeting of cardinals ...

Pope Benedict XVI, the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign as the head of the Catholic Church, died Saturday. Benedict, who was previously known as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, was 95.

The late Pope Benedict XVI can ... death. Rather it marks a period where we eagerly await his waking up from a “divine sleep,” as Ratzinger puts it, comparing it to the time Christ slept ...

Rome — Benedict XVI, the pope who shocked the world by stepping down from the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, has died at the age of 95. The Vatican announced his death on Saturday.

Former Pope Benedict XVI, who died Saturday in a monastery in ... in the spiritual testament published following his death. Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign ...

Benedict was praised for being the first pope to meet victims of abuse by members of the clergy. He died on Saturday at age 95.

The death of Pope Francis initiates a centuries-old process of rituals and traditions culminating with a conclave to choose his successor.

Pope Benedict XVI listens to a speech during his welcome ceremony at the airport in Silao, Mexico, March 23, 2012. Gregorio Borgia/AP, FILE Many Catholics loved and respected him until his death.

He was the first German pope in over ... the future Benedict XVI grew up during World War II and was enrolled in the Hitler Youth as a teenager, as was compulsory at the time.

The longest conclave lasted almost three years. Thankfully, the timeframe has changed drastically in recent years.