Pope Benedict XVI
White smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel on April 19, 2005 signaled the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany as the 264th successor to the throne of St. Peter. His priestly ordination occured in 1951 followed by a doctoral thesis on St. Augustine in 1953. Having taught theology and philosopy throughout German Universities from 1957-1964, scholar Ratzinger later received his Archbishop and then Cardinal appointment in 1977. Pope John Paul II selected Cardinal Ratzinger to serve as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1981. Praised as an intellectual steeped in scholarship, especially for his work on St. Augustine, Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy is anticipated to be a continuation of the doctrinal traditions of Pope John Paul II.