Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger: Life, Biography, Ideas, Doctrines

What involvement did Pope Benedict XVI with the cover-up of the sexual abuse of children committed by so many Catholic priests in America? Perhaps quite a bit. A recent report indicates that while he was still Cardinal Raztinger, he was personally responsible for a document instructing bishops to put the interests of the church ahead of those of law enforcement - and children.

The question of Joseph Ratzinger’s involvement with Nazi Germany and the Hitler Youth is important. Neither Ratzinger nor any member of his immediate family joined the NSDAP (Nazi Party). Ratzinger’s father was critical of the Nazi government and as a result the family had to move four times. None of this is remarkable, however, because the same...

Here is a chronological summary of the life of Josef Ratzinger, now elected Pope Benedict XVI. This timeline of Josef Ratzinger’s life focuses on events that were important to this religious life - his ordination, his elevation to archbishop, and his election to pope.

As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was an exceptionally divisive and controversial figure in the Catholic Church. As Pope Benedict XVI, he is supposed to be a living symbol of the unity of not just all Catholics, but all Christians in the world. Can he make a credible transition from defender of orthodoxy to pastor of the entire church?

People around the world were stunned that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005 - and so quickly, too. It's almost unheard of for the College of Cardinals to act so fast or to elect someone who went into the conclave as a front-runner. Many expected a longer debate in order to find some sort of compromise candidate, not a quick decision on an arch-conservative. So what happened?

Most of the world knows Pope Benedict XVI as Cardinal Joseph Ratzigner, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1981 and “Enforcer” of Catholic orthodoxy for the entire church. Now that he is pope, however, he needs to show both the Catholic faithful and the rest of the world that he can be much more.

Many people, Catholic and non-Catholic have criticized the election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI. They argue that he is too conservative and has spent too much time fighting progressive reform in the Catholic church to do a good job of unifying Catholics. Do you agree?

There has been a lot of debate over the reasons why the College of Cardinals elected Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI - especially given that the election was faster than many expected and it's unusual for a front-runner to actually win. What do you think were the most important factors in his election?

There are many Catholics who hope (or fear) that Pope Benedict XVI will ensure that the Catholic church doesn't move forward on controversial issues like homosexuality or contraception. Others think that he may surprise people and support more liberal trends - at least on some issue. What do you think?

Most religion-based criticisms of the Harry Potter series of books come from evangelical Christians. Catholics tend to be silent on the matter, but a report indicates that while still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the current Pope Benedict XVI was very critical of Harry Potter.