Inside the Vatican
See VR: The Vatican Shoot for some incredible views of the inside of the Vatican.
The Catholic population, meaning those who have been baptized by the Roman Catholic Church, cracked the one billion mark in 2001, according to the church's Pontifical Yearbook. Catholicism is by far the largest Christian denomination in the world, and more than 62 million Americans belong to the Catholic Church.


Photo courtesy Adam J. Polczyk-Przybyla / DHD Multimedia Gallery
Inside the Vatican

Catholics look to Vatican City in Rome, where the pope lives, for their spiritual leadership. The pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican's head of state. The pope's governance of the Catholic Church is termed his Papacy. You often hear the pope called by many other names, including Papa, Vicar of Christ, Holy Father, and Bishop of Rome.

In this article, we will examine the jurisdiction of the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church, discuss how someone becomes pope, and review some of the duties a pope performs.

Pope Benedict XVI

Born: April 16, 1927
Birthplace: Marktl am Inn, Germany
Original name: Joseph Ratzinger
Elected pope: April 19, 2005

Only three days after his 78th birthday, Joseph Ratzinger was named as the successor to Pope John Paul II -- making him the oldest Pope at the time of his election in more than 250 years. During his first mass as Pope, Benedict XVI declared that he wants to work toward unifying all Christians. He also stated that he wants to continue an "open and sincere dialogue" with other religions.

Reportedly, Ratzinger took on the name "Benedict" in honor of the last Pope Benedict (Benedict XV, an Italian, served as Pope from 1914 to 1922).

An accomplished linguist much like his predecessor John Paul II (who spoke eight languages), Benedict XVI speaks 10 languages.

Life Highlights

  • 1944 - Drafted into the Austrian Legion
  • 1944 - Entered into basic training of German infantry; deserted German army
  • 1951 - Ordained into the priesthood
  • 1953 - Earned doctorate in theology from the University of Munich
  • 1969 - Accepted teaching position at the University of Regensburg (where he later earned the positions of Dean and Vice President)
  • 1977 - Named archbishop of Munich and Freising; declared cardinal of Munich by Pope Paul VI
  • 1981 - Became Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
  • 2005 - Named successor to Pope John Paul II, takes name Pope Benedict XVI