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RELIGIOUS FIGURE

Pope Benedict XVI

1927 - 2022

Photo of Pope Benedict XVI

Icon of person Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, German: [ˈjoːzɛf ˈʔaːlɔɪ̯s ˈʁat͡sɪŋɐ]; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known as "Pope emeritus" upon his resignation, and he retained this title until his death in 2022. Ordained as a priest in 1951 in his native Bavaria, Ratzinger embarked on an academic career and established himself as a highly regarded theologian by the late 1950s. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Pope Benedict XVI has received more than 17,917,263 page views. His biography is available in 149 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 144 in 2019). Pope Benedict XVI is the 49th most popular religious figure (down from 34th in 2019), the 45th most popular biography from Germany (down from 38th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular German Religious Figure.

Pope Benedict XVI is most famous for being the head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. He succeeded Pope John Paul II and was known for his conservative views and theological writings. His papacy was marked by controversies, including criticism for his handling of sexual abuse cases within the Church, but he is also credited with improving Catholic relations with other religions, particularly with Judaism.

Memorability Metrics

  • 18M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 79.55

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 149

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 7.76

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 6.45

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES

Among religious figures, Pope Benedict XVI ranks 49 out of 3,187. Before him are Muhammad al-Bukhari, Pope Alexander VI, Isaiah, Saul, Joshua, and Pope Pius IX. After him are Samuel, Pope John XXIII, Catherine of Alexandria, Pope Leo XIII, Pope Clement VII, and Pope Gregory I.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1927, Pope Benedict XVI ranks 2. Before him is Gabriel García Márquez. After him are Ferenc Puskás, Gina Lollobrigida, Günter Grass, Bhumibol Adulyadej, Olof Palme, Roger Moore, Samuel P. Huntington, Peter Falk, Vladimir Komarov, and Mstislav Rostropovich. Among people deceased in 2022, Pope Benedict XVI ranks 4. Before him are Elizabeth II, Pelé, and Mikhail Gorbachev. After him are Jiang Zemin, Jean-Luc Godard, Vangelis, Shinzō Abe, Luc Montagnier, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Others Born in 1927

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Others Deceased in 2022

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In Germany

Among people born in Germany, Pope Benedict XVI ranks 45 out of 7,253. Before him are Robert Koch (1843), Hermann Göring (1893), Bernhard Riemann (1826), Werner Heisenberg (1901), Alexander von Humboldt (1769), and Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912). After him are Karl Benz (1844), Marlene Dietrich (1901), Adolf Eichmann (1906), Felix Mendelssohn (1809), Heinrich Heine (1797), and Bertolt Brecht (1898).

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Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES In Germany

Among religious figures born in Germany, Pope Benedict XVI ranks 2. Before him are Martin Luther (1483). After him are Hildegard of Bingen (1098), Ambrose (340), Albertus Magnus (1206), Pope Joan (null), Pope Damasus II (1000), Philip Melanchthon (1497), Pope Clement II (1005), Thomas à Kempis (1380), Bruno of Cologne (1030), and Pope Victor II (1018).

German born Religious Figures

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