Pope Benedict XVI

The smiling pope - Benedict XVI - is a blessing from above to the Catholic Church. An experienced scholar vastly familiar with the Catholic doctrines and teaching, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as he was known until a few months ago, is regarded as the Catholic Church's principal theologian.

The election of Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005, on the second day of the conclave, took only four rounds of ballots.

Cardinal Ratzinger has been the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1981, and Dean of the College of Cardinals since 2002.

Within weeks of his election, the new pope arranged to expedite the process of sainthood to his predecessor Pope John Paul II.

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