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Germany's Pope

April 20, 2005

Click here for DW-WORLD's dossier on Benedict XVI.

https://p.dw.com/p/6XVZ
Image: AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a respected theologian and one of John Paul II's most trusted advisors, was appointed the Catholic Church's 265th pope. Benedict XVI, as he is now called, represents for many in the Church an attempt to restore conservative values and traditions. For others, especially those critical of the Church's standing on issues such as AIDS, women and gay marriage, the new pope reflects a turning-away from the needs and interests of a modern society.

DW-WORLD takes a look at the new pope's background, the first to come from Germany in 500 years, his rise through the Catholic Church, the issues he stands for and the criticism surrounding him.

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Reports & Analysis

The New Pope: Blessing or Blunder?

Comments from DW-WORLD readers on the new pope, Benedict XVI, have been pouring in. He's getting mixed reviews. Share your thoughts via e-mail or our readers' forum.
April 20, 2005

Pope Benedict XVI Installed

Pope Benedict XVI was inaugurated as pope Sunday as the Catholic Church unveiled its full pomp and pageantry in a joyous ceremony in front of world leaders and up to half a million pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square.
April 24, 2005

A Nazi Pope?

After his election as pope, British tabloids highlighted Cardinal Ratzinger's past as a teenager in Nazi Germany, raising the ire of German daily "Bild" and of some DW-WORLD readers.
April 23, 2005

Everyone's Wild About "Ratzy"

Britney's got hundreds, Cher's got her share. In fact, any celeb from minor on up has an Internet fan site. So does the Grand Inquisitor for Mother Rome, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, known as "Ratzy" to Internet friends.
April 15, 2005

New Pope Delights and Disappoints

Around the world, presidents and religious leaders have hailed Joseph Ratzinger's election as Pope Benedict XVI. But liberals among the faithful fear the new Pontiff will bring little reform.
April 20, 2005

Germans Criticize Pope's Views on Gays

The German Green Party and a major gay rights group have criticized a speech by Pope Benedict XVI in which he said gay marriage was “based on a trivialization of the human body.”
June 8, 2005

Germany's New Monarch

Royalty-obsessed Germans now finally have a new sovereign to call their own: As the new pope, Benedict XVI became the Vatican's head of state on Tuesday, but he'll still keep his German passport.
April 22, 2005

"The Great Inquisitor" and His Critics

While millions of Catholics around the globe were celebrating the election of their new leader, critics started voicing their concerns over the new pope as a harsh champion of staunch conservative values.
April 21, 2005

Germans Head to Papal Inauguration

Just 16 days after attending the funeral of John Paul II, world leaders and pilgrims will once again gather in Rome amid tight security on Sunday to witness the inaugural mass of German-born Pope Benedict XVI.
April 23, 2005

Papal Driver Wanted

The first German pope in centuries is coming to his home country in August. One German carmaker is already offering a small miracle on four wheels.
April 21, 2005

Pope's Birthplace Ecstatic as Visitors Flock

Residents of Joseph Ratzinger's tiny birthplace of Marktl in Bavaria who have greeted his election as Pope with unrestrained joy and partying now find themselves at the center of world attention.
April 20, 2005

German Press Split Over New Pope

German newspapers were torn Wednesday between pride over the election of the first native son in five centuries as pope and concerns over the choice of the staunch conservative Joseph Ratzinger.
April 20, 2005
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