Pope Benedict XVI

Born on April 16, 1927, Joseph Ratzinger decided early in his life to follow the path of the Catholic Church, and even as a boy expressed his wish to become a cardinal. During World War II, Ratzinger was required to join the Hitler Youth at the age of 16. Ratzinger later said he left the group as soon as organizers stopped requiring him to attend. As cardinal, he became increasingly conservative throughout his life. He was elected pope in 2005 and stepped aside in 2013, becoming pope emeritus alongside Pope Francis. Benedict died on December 31, 2022.