Photo: WDKrause, CC BY-SA 3.0

Pope Benedict XVI

1927 – 2022 · died at about 95^[1][2]

Philosophy & Thought

Fun Facts About Pope Benedict XVI

• Pope Benedict XVI announced at age five that he wanted to be a cardinal after seeing the Archbishop of Munich's robes, and that same cardinal later ordained him a priest.^[1]
• Benedict's 2013 resignation made him the first pope to step down since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so without outside pressure since Celestine V in 1294.^[1]
• Benedict was an accomplished pianist, and his favorite composer was Mozart, whose music he said contains "the whole tragedy of human existence."^[1][3][4]
• Benedict was fond of cats and looked after strays in his neighborhood. A 2007 book told his life story from the point of view of Chico, a neighbor's cat.^[1]
• Benedict joined Twitter in December 2012 as @Pontifex. The account was later handed over to his successors.^[1]
• In 1997, Ratzinger reportedly asked Pope John Paul II to let him leave his doctrinal post and run the Vatican's archives and library instead, but John Paul refused.^[1][5][6]
• Pope Benedict XVI was alive at the same time as Kim Jong Un — their lives overlapped for 38 years (1984–2022).^[1][2][7][8]
• Pope Benedict XVI shares a birthday with Charlie Chaplin: both were born on April 16.^{[1][2][9][10]}

Pope Benedict XVI was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Following his resignation, he chose to be known as "pope emeritus", a title he held until his death on 31 December 2022. In addition to this, he was an important philosopher and theologian of the 20th and early 21st centuries.^[1]

Contemporaries

Elizabeth II

95 yr overlap

Jimmy Carter

95 yr overlap

James Watson

94 yr overlap

Noam Chomsky

94 yr overlap

Tu Youyou

92 yr overlap

Stan Lee

91 yr overlap

Mikhail Gorbachev

91 yr overlap

George H. W. Bush

91 yr overlap

Desmond Tutu

90 yr overlap

Fidel Castro

89 yr overlap

Yoko Ono

89 yr overlap

B.B. King

88 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Pope Benedict XVI

When was Pope Benedict XVI born?

Pope Benedict XVI was born on April 16, 1927, and died on December 31, 2022.

How old was Pope Benedict XVI at death?

Pope Benedict XVI was born on April 16, 1927, and died on December 31, 2022, at age 95.

What was Pope Benedict XVI known for?

Pope Benedict XVI was known for: Pope from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Pope Benedict XVI was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Following his resignation, he chose to be known as "pope emeritus", a title he held until his death on 31 December 2022. In addition to this, he was an important philosopher and theologian of the 20th and early 21st centuries.

Who was alive at the same time as Pope Benedict XVI?

Pope Benedict XVI's closest contemporary was Elizabeth II. Their lives overlapped for 95 years.