Benedict's election as pope occurred in the papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Upon his resignation, Benedict chose to be known as " Pope emeritus ", and he retained this title until his death in Ordained as a priest in in his native Bavaria , Ratzinger embarked on an academic career and established himself as a highly regarded theologian by the late s.
He was appointed a full professor in at the age of After a long career as a professor of theology at several German universities, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and created a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in , an unusual promotion for someone with little pastoral experience.
In , he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , one of the most important dicasteries of the Roman Curia. From until he was elected pope, he was also Dean of the College of Cardinals. Before becoming pope, he had been "a major figure on the Vatican stage for a quarter of a century"; he had had an influence "second to none when it came to setting church priorities and directions" as one of John Paul II 's closest confidants.
Benedict's writings were prolific and generally defended traditional Catholic doctrine, values, and liturgy. He viewed relativism 's denial of objective truth , and the denial of moral truths in particular, as the central problem of the 21st century. Benedict also revived several traditions and permitted greater use of the Tridentine Mass. Benedict's handling of sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church and opposition to usage of condoms in areas of high HIV transmission was substantially criticised by public health officials, anti-AIDS activists, and victim's rights organizations.
On 11 February , Benedict announced his effective 28 February resignation, citing a "lack of strength of mind and body" due to his advanced age. His resignation was the first by a pope since Gregory XII in , and the first on a pope's initiative since Celestine V in He was succeeded by Francis on 13 March and moved into the newly renovated Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City for his retirement. In addition to his native German language, Benedict had some level of proficiency in French, Italian, English, and Spanish.
