Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected to the papacy and becomes Pope Benedict XVI.

2005 conclave

A conclave was held on 18 and 19 April 2005 to elect a new pope to succeed John Paul II, who had died on 2 April 2005. Of the 117 eligible cardinal electors, all but two attended. On the fourth ballot, the conclave elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the dean of the College of…

Pope Benedict XVI

Head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013

Pope Benedict XVI was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State 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.