events
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church taking the name Pope Benedict XVI.
Related Wikipedia articles
Cardinal (Catholic Church)
Senior church official
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Cardinals are chosen and formally…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Papal inauguration
Investiture ceremony of the head of the Catholic Church
Papal inauguration is a liturgical service of the Catholic Church within Mass celebrated in the Roman Rite but with elements of Byzantine Rite for the ecclesiastical investiture of a pope. Since the inauguration of Pope John Paul I, it has not included the 820-year-old…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Pope
Head of the Catholic Church
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Catholic Church
Christian church based in Rome
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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.Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)