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excerpted from the book "From Pope John Paul II to Benedict XVI."
Copyright © 2005 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. A
Sheed & Ward book; Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Josef Alois Ratzinger was born to Joseph
and Maria Ratzinger April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, Germany. The
pope's father was a policeman, and the family moved frequently
during his youth. His brother Georg, who is three years older,
became a priest, studied music and became director of the
world-famous Regensburg boys' choir. His sister Maria, who was five
years old when her brother Josef was born, looked after his
household for many years and followed him to Rome.
According to his memoirs, Pope Benedict
XVI was only vaguely aware of the poverty and political strife
building up in Germany before the outbreak of World War II. He
joined his brother, Georg, at the minor seminary in 1939. Ordained a
priest in 1951, he received a doctorate and a licentiate in theology
from the University of Munich, where he studied until 1957. He
taught dogma and fundamental theology at the University of Freising
in 1958-59, and then lectured at the University of Bonn, 1959-1969,
at Munster, 1963-66, and at Tubingen from 1966 to 1969. In 1969 he
was appointed professor of dogma and of the history of dogmas at the
University of Regensburg, where he also served as vice president
until 1977.
Books by Pope Benedict XVI
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Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers
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