} Pope Benedict 16 (Latin: Benedictus PP. 16; natural April 16, 1927, as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. He was elected in April 19, 2005, in the papal conclave over which he presided in his capacity when dean of the College of Cardinals. He celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on April 24, 2005, and was enthroned in the Basilica of St. John Lateran (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) on May 7, 2005.

One of the virtually all influential academic theologist since a Sixties & creator of numerous books, he is hold conservativist & a close ally of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. He served when prof at various German universities, Archbishop of Munich, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Dean of the College of Cardinals before becoming Pope.

Inside response to an increasing de-Christianization within numerous developed countries, in which secular humanism, secularism, and secularization are influential, a Pope particularly emphasizes what he understands when the want for Europe to turn back to its fundamental Christian values.

Overview
Pope Benedict XVI was elected pope at the age of 78. He is the oldest person to have been elected pope since Clement XII in 1730. He served yearn as a cardinal before being elective pope than any pope since Benedict XIII (elected 1724). He is a 9th German pope, a go existence the Dutch-German Adrian VI (1522–1523). A previous pope known as Benedict was Benedict XV, an Italian who reigned from either 1914 to 1922, during World War I.

Ratzinger was innate inside Bavaria, Germany. He got the distinguished career as a university theologian before being mass produced a archbishop of Munich and Freising; he was subsequently processed the cardinal by Pope Paul VI in the consistory of June 27, 1977. He wwhen appointed as a prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II in 1981 and was made a cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian diocese of Velletri-Segni on April 5, 1993. Inside 1998, he was made a sub-dean of the College of Cardinals; later, in November 30, 2002, he became a dean & at the same time the fundamental bishop of the suburbicarian episcopate of Ostia. He was a foremost dean of the college elective pope since Paul IV in 1555 and the 1st primal bishop elected pope since Pius VIII in 1829.

Prior to becoming pope, Cardinal Ratzinger was already one of the virtually all influential men in the Vatican, & was a close associate of the late John Paul II. He presided all over a funeral of John Paul II and also across a Mass immediately preceding a 2005 conclave where he was elected, where he known as on the assembled cardinals to adhere to the doctrine of the faith. He was a public face of the church around tremendously of the sede vacante period, although he ranked below a camerlengo in administrative authority during that instance.

Benedict XVI's views pop up to become similar to victims of his predecessor within maintaining a traditional Catholic philosophical system in unreal birth control, abortion, and homosexuality while promoting Catholic social teaching.

Benedict speaks German, Italian and French fluently, and English, Spanish and Latin slightly less fluently. He might scroll through ancient Greek and classical Hebrew. He occurs as member of a big total of academies, like the French Académie des sciences morales et politiques. He plays a piano and has a preference for Mozart and Beethoven.

Early life (1927–1951)
Background and childhood (1927–1943)
Joseph Alois Ratzinger was natural in Holy Saturday, at Schulstrasse 11, his parents' home in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria. His mother recovered from either a birth in time to choose him to become baptized at a Easter Vigil Mass later that evening. He was a third & immature little one of Joseph Ratzinger, Sr., a police officer, and his wife, Maria Ratzinger (nee Peintner), who worked as a barmaid, and whose family were from South Tyrol (today part of Italy). His father served within two a Bavarian State Police (Landespolizei) and a German national Regular Police (Ordnungspolizei) before retiring within 1937 to the town of Traunstein. A Sunday Times of London described the sr. Ratzinger as "an anti-Nazi whose attempts to rein in Hitler's Sturmabteilung forced the family to move several times." .

Pope Benedict's brother, Georg, is however dwelling. His sister, Maria Ratzinger, world health organization never married, managed her brother Joseph's home until her demise inside 1991. Their grand uncle Georg Ratzinger was a priest & member of the Reichstag, as a German Parliament was known as so. A pope's relatives agree that his ambitions to serve in the upper echelons of the Church were apparent since childhood. At age 5, Ratzinger was within a class action of toddlers world health organization presented the Archbishop of Munich with flowers; later that day he announced he wanted to become the cardinal. (Look at besides Early life of Pope Benedict XVI.)

Based on datthe from either his first cousin Erika Kopp, Ratzinger experienced there are no want from childhood to exist as anything otherwise a priest. While he was Fifteen, she says, he announced that he was attend become the bishop, whereupon she playfully remarked, '& how come non Pope?'.

Whilst Ratzinger turned Xiv he was forced by law to join a Hitler Youth (membership was legally required from either December 1936.) According to a National Catholic Reporter correspondent and biographer John Allen, Ratzinger was an unenthusiastic member world health organization refused to attend meetings. Ratzinger has mentioned that the Nazi maths prof intended decreased tuition payments for him at seminary. This commonly called upon documentation of attendance at Hitler Youth activities; all the same, based on datthe from Ratzinger, his sympathetic prof intended items and so that he did non stand to attend to receive a scholarship.

Military service (1943–1945)
Around 1943, when he was Xvi, Ratzinger was drafted by having several of his schoolmate into a FlaK (anti-aircraft artillery corps). It guarded various facilities including the BMW aircraft engine plant north of Munich &, late, a pitchy fighter base at Gilching, where Ratzinger served within telephone communications. When his class was freed from either a Corps within September 1944, Ratzinger was put to work setting higher anti-tank defences in the Hungarian border area of Austria in preparation for the expected Red Army offensive. Whilst his unit was freed from either service within November 1944, he went home for tierce weeks, and so was drafted into a German army at Munich to receive basic infantry training in the nearby town of Traunstein. His unit served at various posts as much as a city & was never sent to the front.

Ratzinger was briefly interned within the prisoner-of-war camp near Ulm and was repatriated on June 19, 1945. the personal was reunited whilst his brother, Georg, returned when existence repatriated from either a prisoner-of-war camp within Italy.

Education (1946–1951)
Fallowing he was repatriated withwithin 1945, he & his brother entered Saint Michael Seminary in Traunstein, then exposed at a Ducal Georgianum (Herzogliches Georgianum) of the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. Based on data from an locate by owning Peter Seewald, he & his fellow students were particularly influenced per works of Gertrud von le Fort, Ernst Wiechert, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Elisabeth Langgässer, Theodor Steinbüchel, Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers. A immature Ratzinger saw a previous tierce particularly as a break by owning a dominance of Neo-Kantianism, with a key operate existence Steinbüchel's Die Wende des Denkens ("The Change in Thinking"). Per prevent of his studies he was drawn additional to the active Saint Augustine than to Thomas Aquinas, and among a scholastics he was more concerned inside Saint Bonaventure.

In June 29, 1951, he and his brother were ordained by Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber of Munich. His thesis (1953) was on Saint Augustine, entitled "The People and the House of God in Augustine's Doctrine of the Church," & his Habilitationsschrift (the thesis which serves when qualification for a chair) get on Saint Bonaventure. It was completed around 1957 and he became a prof of Freising College in 1958.

Early church career (1951–1981)
Ratzinger became a prof at the University of Bonn in 1959; his inaugural lecture was on "The God of Faith and the God of Philosophy." Within 1963 he moved to the University of Münster, where his initiative lecture wwhen given inside the packed lecture hall, as he was already easily referred to as the theologist. At a Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), Ratzinger served as a peritus or theological adviser to Josef Cardinal Frings of Cologne, Germany, and has continued to defend a council, including Nostra Aetate, a document in respect of more religions & the declaration of the best to religious freedom. He was viewed in a period of the instance of the council as a reformer. (Late, when a Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger most clearly spelled out a Catholic Church's positiin on more religions in the document Dominus Iesus (2000) which also talks just about a proper way to locate inside ecumenical dialogue.)

Around 1966, he took a chair around dogmatical theology at a University of Tübingen, where he was the colleague of Hans Küng. Within his 1968 book Introduction to Christianity, he wrote that a pope has the duty to hear differing voices inside the Church prior to making a guide, & downplayed the centrality of the pontificate. He as well wrote that a church of the instance was too centralized, rule-attached & excessively restricted from either Rome. These sentences, but, did non pop up within late editions of the book. In a period of this period, he distanced himself from either a atmosphere of Tübingen & the Marxist leanings of the student movement of the 1960s, that in Germany quickly radicalised in the years 1967 and 1968, culminating inside the series of disturbances & riots in April & Will 1968. Ratzinger come more & more to watch these and associated developments (decreasing respect for authority among his students, a rise of the German gay rights movement) as related the departure from either traditional Catholic teachings. Progressively, his views, despite his progressive bent, contrasted by owning victims liberal ideas gaining currency in the theological academy.Within 1969 he returned to Bavaria, to the University of Regensburg.

Around 1972, he founded the theological journal Communio with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac, Walter Kasper and others. Communio, nowadays promulgated inside xvii editions (German, English, Spanish and many others), has get one of a first journals of Catholic thought. He remains one of a journal's virtually all prolific contributors.

Around March 1977 Ratzinger was named archbishop of Munich and Freising. Based on data from his autobiography, Milestones, he took when his episcopal shibboleth Cooperatores Veritatis, co-workfellow of the Truth, from either 3 John: 8.

In the consistory of June 1977 he was named the cardinal by Pope Paul VI. Per instance of a 2005 Conclave, he was one of merely Xiv remaining cardinals appointed by Paul VI, & one of just 3 of victims under a age of Fourscore, & one of simply deuce world health organization participated in the conclave, the more existence Cardinal Baum.

Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1981–2005)

In November 25, 1981, Pope John Paul II named Ratzinger prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly called a Holy Office of the Inquisition. He resigned a Munich archdiocese in early 1982. Already the primal priest, he was raised to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni within 1993. He became vice-dean of the College of Cardinals in 1998, and dean within 2002.

Around professional, Ratzinger unremarkably took traditional views in topics like birth control, homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. Among more items, he played the key role inside silencing outspoken liberation theologians and clergy in Latin America in the 1980s.

(View as well Theology of Pope Benedict XVI.)

Health
In the early 1990s Ratzinger suffered a stroke which slightly impaired his eyesight temporarily. A being of a stroke got been known in the period of the conclave that elected him pope. Within Can 2005, a Vatican revealed that he got afterwards suffered a second modest stroke - it did does'nt reveal whenever, differently that it occurred between 2003 & 2005. France's Philippe Cardinal Barbarin further revealed that since the number one stroke, Ratzinger has suffered from either the heart disease. Because of his unhealthiness, Ratzinger experienced hoped to retire, however experienced continued inside his position inside obedience to the wishes of Pope John Paul II.

Response to sex abuse scandal
whilst Cardinal Ratzinger was Prefect of a Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the sex offense of tike by priests was his responsibility to investigate from either 2001, when that charge was given to the CDF by Pope John Paul.

In May 18, 2001, Ratzinger, as a portion of the implementation of the norms enacted & promulgated

Around 2002, Ratzinger accurately told the Catholic News Service that "less than one percent of priests are guilty of acts of this type."

Dialogue with other faiths
Within 2000, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published the document entitled Dominus Iesus which reaffirmed a historic ism & mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel. This was misunderstood by a select few globe health organization erroneously believed that a Church experienced antecedently repudiated its unique role in the world.

This page pointed retired a danger to the Church of relativistic theories which search to justify religious pluralism by denying that God has revealed truth to humanity. (par. Quartet)

Addressing a wonder that a single religion is when a dependable as an additional (syncretism or indifferentism) it states: ...followers of other religions might receive divine grace, these are likewise certain that objectively speaking it is around a gravely insufficient situation compared to by having people world health organization, in the Church, use the fullness of the means of salvation. (par.Xxii)

A studied omission of the "filioque" clause ("and the Son") in the first paragraph

The World Jewish Congress "welcomed" his election to the pontificate, noted "his great sensitivity to the Jewish history and the Holocaust," and quoted a Pope within its handout: A Dalai Lama congratulated Pope Benedict XVI upon his election.

Around an locate within 2004 for Le Figaro magazine, Ratzinger said Turkey, a united states Muslim by heritage and stanchly secularist by its state constitution, should seek its new within an association of Islamic nations rather than a EU, which has Christian roots. He said Turkey experienced universally been "in permanent contrast to Europe" and that linking it to Europe would be the mistake.

His defenders argue that these are to exist as required that a leader inside the Catholic Church would forcefully & explicitly argue in favour the superiority of Catholicism over other religions. Others besides maintain that lone quotes from either Dominus Iesus are not declarative of intolerance or even an involuntariness to locate inside dialogue by owning more faiths, and this is clear from either the reading of the entire document. It point out that Ratzinger has been super active inside promoting inter-faith dialogue. Specifically, it argue that Ratzinger has been instrumental at encouraging reconciliation using Lutherans. Around defending Dominus Iesus, Ratzinger himself has declared that his belief is that inter-faith dialogue should require place on the basis of equal person dignity, however that equality of individual dignity should non indicate that for each one side is equally right.

Ratzinger and Fatima
, and creator of the Theological Commentary on the Third Message, one of quaternary canon sourceworks saved alongside a Message.

Inside 1984, an locate by owning Ratzinger was published in the Pauline Sisters newsletter and that it deals using "dangers threatening the faith and the life of the Christian and therefore of the world", when stating that it marks a beginning of the end-times. A year late a locate was re-published in The Ratzinger Report, though many statements were omitted — either for even editorial reasons, or underground conspirative reasons, based on the person asked.

Around October 1987 he stated that "the things contained in [the] Third Secret correspond to what has been announced in Scripture and has been said again and again in many other Marian apparitions; first of all, that of Fatima in what is already known of what its message contains, conversion and penitence are the essential conditions for salvation". council.

In June 26 2000, following the release of the text of the prophecy, Ratzinger issued a joint statement by owning Cardinal Bertone that the third & final chapter of Mary's prophecy had been fulfilled witharound 1981 in the failing attempt on the Pope's life; critics point out notwithstanding that a year when a attempted assassination, Lúcia told a Pope that a third prophecy got however non been fulfilled. He wwhen quoted in the media as stating, "No great mystery is revealed; nor is the future unveiled. A careful reading of the text will probably prove disappointing."

Papacy
Election to the Papacy
Prediction
In January 2, 2005, Time magazine quoted unnamed Vatican sources when saying that Ratzinger was the frontrunner to succeed John Paul II should the pope die or even be when well sick to prove my point as pope. On the dying of John Paul II, the Financial Times gave the odds of Ratzinger becoming pope when 7–One, a lead position, however or so his contender on the liberal wing of the church. Inside April 2005, before his election when pope, he wwhen identified as one of a 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Ratzinger himself experienced repeatedly stated he would such as to retire to the Bavarian village & dedicate himself to writing books, however supplementary recently, he told friends he was ready to "accept any charge God placed on him." Piers Paul Understand wrote in The Spectator on March 5, 2005: But, Apostolical predictions within modern history got typically been incorrectly, by using the virtually all popular candidates typically losing a election in favour of a other unknown, obscure cardinal.

Election

In April 19, 2005 Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as a successor to Pope John Paul II on the 2nd day of the papal conclave after four ballots. Coincidentally, April 19 is the feast of St. Leo IX, a German pope world health organization instituted major reforms in the Middle Ages during his papacy.

Cardinal Ratzinger experienced hoped to retire peacefully & 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."

Prior to his 1st appearance at a balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica after becoming pope, he was announced by the Jorge Cardinal Medina Estévez, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Medina Estévez 1st addressed a massive crowd when "dear(est) brothers and sisters" inside Italian, Spanish, French, German & English — apiece language getting cheers from either a international crowd — prior to continuing using a traditional Habemus Papam announcement in Latin. At a balcony, Benedict's number 1 words to a crowd, prior to he gave the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing, were: He so gave a blessing to the humans.

In April 24, he was inaugurated in St. Peters, formally becoming the 265th pope by the official Vatican reckoning. (A select few sources, like a Catholic Encyclopedia and a total of church historiographer, in addition count Pope Stephen II, who died prior to existence consecrated.) So in May 7 he was enthroned in a mass at Saint John Lateran Basilica.

Choice of name
A guide of a title Benedict (Latin "the blessed") is important. Benedict XVI utilized his number one General Audience in St. Peter's Square, in April 27, 2005, to explain to a globe in how come he chose the title: Early days of Papacy
Pope Benedict has confounded a expectations of numbers of in the early times of his pontificate by his gentle public persona & his promise to listen. These are notable that he has utilized an open popemobile, saying that he wants to be nigher to the population.

Benedict's coat of arms have officially omitted the papal tiara, traditionally appearing in the background to designate the Pope's position and replaced it with a simple mitre.However, there have been papal documents since his inauguration that have been appearing with the papal tiara present. Since these come a shield & non a background which is unique to the single Pope, various backgrounds are conceivable (though seldom utilized) for possibly one shield.

In the period of his first Mass, the last custom of all the cardinals submitting was replaced by with Dozen humans, representing cardinals, clergy, religious, a married few & their little one, & freshly confirmed people, submit to him. Still, all the cardinals experienced already sworn their obedience upon his election. Inside a link to to tradition, Benedict chose to resurrect the ancient tradition of the red papal shoes and to delegate the celebration of the beatification liturgies.

Teachings

When Pope, Benedict XVI's independent role is to teach all about the Catholic faith & the solutions to the problems of the faith, a role that he could play swell existence a previous head of the Church's Congregation of the Faith. A emphases of his teachings come stated inside other detail within Theology of Pope Benedict XVI.

Friendship with Jesus Christ

Based on data from commentators, in a period of a Inaugural Mass, a core of his message, the virtually all moving & noted section, is noticed in the endure paragraph of his preachment in which he referred to each Jesus Christ & John Paul II. When on to John Paul II's easily-known words (Don't become afraid! Open wide a doors for Christ!), Benedict XVI says:

"Friendship with Jesus Christ" is a theme of his preaching which isDiscovered inside numbers of of his preachment & his addresses. For instance, his location to the priests of Rome, his episcopate when bishop: [http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/B16CLERO.HTM] & to the cardinals in the pre-conclave, the key public location to the Church's top leaders: [http://www.ewtn.com/pope/words/conclave_homily.asp]

"Dictatorship of relativism"

Continuing what he said in a pre-conclave Mass all about what he has typically known as the "central problem of our faith today": [http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/RATZRELA.HTM] the world "moving towards a dictatorship of relativism", [http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/wyd082105.htm] on June 6, 2005 he besides said:

He also traced the failed revolutions and ideologies of the 20th century to a conversion of partial points of view into absolute guides: "Absolutizing what is non absolute however relative is known as totalitarianism," he said during World Youth Day.

In an address to a conference of the Diocese of Rome held at St. John Lateran basilica on June 6, 2005, Benedict remarked on the issues of same-sex marriage and abortion: Curial appointments
Upon becoming Pope, Benedict reappointed all former officers of the Roman Curia under John Paul II to new terms, their terms having ended with the papacy. This assured an easy transition into new government. The highest of those appointments are those considered to be Benedict XVI's prime ministers: Angelo Cardinal Sodano of Italy who serves as Cardinal Secretary of State and Edmund Cardinal Szoka of the United States who serves as Governor of Vatican City.

Benedict XVI's only major new appointment was that of his successor as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Early speculation included the names of Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna in Austria and Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago in the United States. Both were renowned for their knowledge of Church doctrine and were considered among the more conservative members of the College of Cardinals.

On May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI appointed a non-Cardinal, William Joseph Levada, Archbishop of San Francisco in the United States. Renowned for his knowledge of Church doctrine due to his office as principal editor of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church, Levada is considered by some to be even more staunchly conservative than all the Pope's choices within the College of Cardinals. Levada relinquishes his see in San Francisco on August 17, 2005 and is expected to be raised in consistory to the title of Cardinal.

Due to the immense influence wielded by the office of Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—arguably more immense than that of the Pope's own prime ministers—Benedict XVI's appointment of an American in effect raises the United States into greater prominence in the universal Church. That fact sparked many fears that the United States was being given too much power in the Church; people worldwide generally express uneasiness that the United States already dominates global politics. It is for that reason that Americans are never considered papabile.

Beatifications
On May 13, 2005, Benedict XVI made his first promulgation of the beatification process. The honoree of the process was his predecessor, John Paul II. Normally five years pass before the beatification process begins for a person after his or her death but due to the popularity of John Paul II — devotees chanted "Santo subito!" meaning "Saint currently!" during the late pontiff's funeral — Benedict XVI waived the custom and officially styled the late pope with the title given to all those being scrutinized in the beatification process, Servant of God.

Upon the confirmation after scrutiny that the late pontiff's life is found morally clean and manifests heroic virtues, a decree of heroicity will be proclaimed and John Paul II will be declared Venerable on the road to beatification. Before changes in canon law in 1917, the title Venerable was given at the same time a person was declared Servant of God. Upon the confirmation of miracles attributed to the honoree, John Paul II would then be declared Blessed. A person is strictly prohibited from being officially celebrated in Mass until he or she achieves the title of Blessed.

The next day, on May 14, Benedict XVI made his first official beatification, raising Mother Marianne Cope — who served with Blessed Damien of Molokai helping those suffering from leprosy in what is now the Diocese of Honolulu in Hawaii — to the title of "Blessed Marianne of Molokai." She was the first addition to the calendar of saints by Benedict XVI announcing an optional feast to be celebrated in her honor annually on January 23. Blessed Damien and Blessed Marianne are the patrons of HIV/AIDS and outcasts. Both are expected to become the first saints of the Hawaiian Islands. Mother Ascensión Nicol Goñi was also beatified on the same day.

Unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI delegated the beatification liturgical service to a principal aide, José Cardinal Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. It was noted by Vatican watchers that the practise of delegating prominent functions enjoyed by the late John Paul II would become the norm for Benedict XVI, who seems to prefer the duties of Church manager as opposed to having more of a public face. This may also reflect the need for Benedict to maintain a more restricted public appearance schedule, due to his recent health history, which may be described as resulting from age related illnesses. On June 16, 2005, it was learned that the planned beatification of a French priest, Fr. Leon Dehon, had been suspended by the Vatican after complaints about anti-Semitism in his writings. The Vatican decided to further study the life and writings of the Fr. Dehon, who died in 1925 and who had founded the priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus religious order. The beatification was postponed originally due to the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005. The move came after a French Catholic newspaper, La Croix, reported that some of his writings contained anti-Semitic passages. La Croix quoted his writings as saying Jews were "united in their hate of Jesus" and were enemies of Christians, and that anti-Semitism was a "sign of hope."

The possibility of declaring Fr. Dehon a saint has been under consideration by the church for decades. The process began formally in 1939. The church declared his virtues in 1983, and John Paul gave him the title "venerable" in 1997 after the church ruled that an electrician in Brazil had been miraculously cured of an illness in 1954 after prayers were directed to him. However, France's government had put the Vatican on notice that it would not send a representative to the beatification, and the French bishops' conference urged the Vatican to act with caution, according to French newspaper reports. .

For many in the Catholic community who had been concerned about the rapidity of the beatification process during the reign of Pope John Paul II, this incident seemed to indicate that the management of the practise of canonizing saints will be more measured and, possibly, less inclined to speed up the process.

On June 19, 2005, Benedict XVI beatified Father Ladisłaus Findysz, a martyr of the Communist regime, Father Bronisław Markiewicz, the founder of the Congregation of St. Michael, and Father Ignacy Kłopotowski, the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Loreto. Benedict XVI had delegated Józef Cardinal Glemp of Warsaw to preside over the beatification liturgy, which took place at Piłsudski Square in Warsaw. The beatifications were originally scheduled for April 24 2005, however they were delayed due to the death of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II also started the process of the beatifications of the above Poles, but Benedict XVI had to complete the process.

On October 9, 2005, Benedict XVI beatified Clemens August Graf von Galen of Germany. Cardinal von Galen (nicknamed the "Lion of Munster") was an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime and an opponent of Soviet Communism. The Holy Father said that the German cardinal had "despised God to a higher degree human."

Once again, Benedict XVI delegated Cardinal Saraiva Martins to preside over the beatification mass at St. Peter's Basilica.

Canonizations
The first Mass of Canonization for Benedict XVI is scheduled for October 23, 2005 in St. Peter's Square. Benedict XVI will bestow the honor of Sainthood to: Józef Bilczewski of Poland and Ukraine, Archbishop of Lviv (Lwów); Gaetano Catanoso of Italy, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Veronica (also known as the Missionaries of the Holy Face); Zygmunt Gorazdowski of Poland and Ukraine, priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph; Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga of Chile, priest of the Society of Jesus, and Felice Da Nicosia of Italy, lay member of the Capuchins.

Apostolic journeys