Pope Benedict XVI: A man of unshakeable faith and love for the youth
Known as a great theologian of the Church, grounded in the tradition of the Catholic faith and authentic in Church teaching, Pope Benedict XVI stands tall as one of the strong figures in the recent history of the Catholic Church.
Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, was born on 16 April 1927 in Bavaria, Germany. He was the third and youngest child of Joseph and Maria Ratzinger. He was ordained 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-time 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 was made a Cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977.
In 1981, he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Pope Benedict XVI’s writings were deeply theological, and generally defended traditional Catholic doctrine, values and liturgy. During his papacy, he advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the fast-spreading secularization of many Western countries. He taught the importance of Catholic faith and an understanding of God’s redemptive love.
Pope Benedict had a special love for the youth. He warmly welcomed various youth groups from numerous countries and stirred them to be living witnesses of truth and justice.
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Fr Antony Pancras is the Editor of The New Leader, Chennai.