X-Nico

66 unusual facts about Pope Benedict XVI


2010 in British radio

24 December - A Christmas message by Pope Benedict XVI is broadcast by BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day programme, the first time the Pontiff has addressed a Christmas message to one of the countries he has visited during the year.

Abdelwahab Doukkali

He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Mérite et Dévouement français in 2004, the Grand Prix Humanitaire de France in 2006, and medals from both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Albert Vanhoye

He was created Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani by Pope Benedict XVI at the consistory of 24 March 2006, when he was 82 years old and therefore ineligible to vote in conclaves.

Ali Bardakoğlu

He met with Pope Benedict XVI on November 28, 2006 in Ankara to help further interfaith dialog between Catholics and Muslims.

Am Mellensee

They will provide the bread for the Communion wafers during the Eucharist for Papal Masses at Erfurt's Cathedral and in Berlin's Olympic Stadium to be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI for his September 2011 visit- his third as Pope- to Germany.

Amr Moussa

On 2009, he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Holy See and met with Pope Benedict XVI in order to strengthen joint projects and to promote peace and dialogue on a cultural and political level.

Angústias

Júlio da Rosa (Flamengos, Horta; 24 May 1924) - Parish priest and Monseigneur, elevated to the latter title by Pope Benedict XVI (announced on 25 May 2006 by the Bishop of the Diocese of Angra, António Sousa Braga during a celebrations in honour of Nossa Senhora das Angústias).

Anthony Fisher

Fisher was named third Bishop of Parramatta by Pope Benedict XVI on 8 January 2010 and was installed on 4 March 2010 in St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta.

Antonio Maceo Airport

Likewise, Pope Benedict XVI, during the second papal visit to Cuba, flew here for Mass and other activities, from his visit to León and Guanajuato in Mexico, before moving on to Havana.

April 2008

April 15 – Pope Benedict XVI visit to the United States starts in Washington, D.C.

Bill Steltemeier

In October 2009, Deacon Steltemeier and Mother Angelica were awarded the papal medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice by Pope Benedict XVI for their service to the Catholic Church.

Brian Joseph Dunn

On 21 November 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Auxiliary Bishop Dunn to be Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antigonish, as the permanent replacement for the former Bishop Raymond Lahey.

Carl Amari

“The Truth and Life Audio Bible: New Testament” was granted an Imprimatur by the Vatican, and features a foreword by Pope Benedict XVI.

Catriona Shearer

Alongside Reporting Scotland, Shearer has also been involved with several BBC Scotland non-news programmes, including presenting a documentary on Pope Benedict XVI's tour visit to Scotland and a guest appearance on the football comedy series Only An Excuse?.

China–Holy See relations

"The Commission which Pope Benedict XVI established in 2007 to study questions of major importance regarding the life of the Catholic Church in China met in the Vatican for the fifth time from 23 to 25 April.

Codex Aureus of Lorsch

A facsimile of the codex was presented as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II by Pope Benedict XVI on 16 September 2010, who in turn received a series of Hans Holbein prints from the royal collection.

Coetus Internationalis Patrum

It was originally formed after complaints by some of the more traditionalist bishops of the presence of Protestants and liberal Catholic theologians such as Hans Küng, Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) and Karl Rahner.

David Choby

Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Nashville on December 20, 2005.

Denis J. Madden

On May 10, 2005, Madden was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore and Titular Bishop of Baia by Pope Benedict XVI; he was that pope's first episcopal appointment in the United States.

Donald Edmond Pelotte

On January 3, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, as apostolic administrator sede plena of the diocese of Gallup, and granted Pelotte a one year leave of absence to continue his recovery.

EADS Harfang

In 2007, the Harfang was deployed in Lourdes to provide security for Pope Benedict XVI.

F. Joseph Gossman

After a 31-year-long tenure and reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, his resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on June 8, 2006.

Fernando Isern

On October 15, 2009, Isern was appointed the fourth Bishop of Pueblo, Colorado, by Pope Benedict XVI.

Francis Arinze

Arinze was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Francis Lu Shouwang

He was ordained a bishop in 2007 with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI and the Chinese government.

Freedom of religion in Vietnam

In January 2007 the Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng visited the Vatican and met with Pope Benedict XVI, and in March 2007, an official delegation from the Vatican reciprocated by visiting the country.

George Joseph Lucas

On June 3, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI named Lucas the fifth Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska.

Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo

Joseph Benedict Cottolengo was recently enlisted among the saints of charity by Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est.

Good News TV

The Archdiocese has been encouraged in this work by Pope Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Social Communications, wherein he affirms that “digital technologies are a gift for humanity that can be useful for spreading solidarity and understanding among people and populations".

Hissa Abdulla Ahmed Al-Otaiba

As the first UAE Ambassador to the Holy See, Al-Otaiba presented her credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on May 20, 2010.

History of Roman Catholicism in Hispano-America

However, the movement, which has been highly controversial in the Catholic theological community, has been condemned by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi

He wrote to Pope Benedict XVI and the European Union to complain about the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of his father Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Ali Kazemeini Boroujerdi in 2002, the subsequent confiscation of his father's mosque, and his own and his followers' harassment by Iran's theocratic government.

Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders

In response to "numerous requests for clarification received by the Holy See", Pope Benedict XVI reiterated in 2008 that the Instruction applied to "all houses of formation for the priesthood".

Jeff Glor

He was The Early Show’s primary political correspondent in 2008, drove cross-country for CBS's "Eye on the Road" series that same year, and reported on Pope Benedict XVI's visit to New York City and Washington, D.C.

Joe S. Vasquez

On 26 January 2010 he was appointed as bishop of Austin by Pope Benedict XVI filling the vacancy left by Gregory Michael Aymond who was appointed archbishop of New Orleans.

John Barres

On May 27, 2009, Barres was appointed the fourth Bishop of Allentown, Pennsylvania, by Pope Benedict XVI.

John M. LeVoir

On July 14, 2008, LeVoir was appointed the fourth bishop of New Ulm by Pope Benedict XVI.

Jon Holmes

On 15 September 2010, Holmes, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.

Knights Templar Cartel

On 17 March 2012 in the state of Guanajuato, the Knights Templar Cartel put up several banners on bridges welcoming the Pope Benedict XVI, and pledging to not provoke any violent acts during the pope's visit.

Lorenzo Fontana

In October of 2012 Fontana cosponsored with fellow MEP Mario Borghezio a motion for a declaration by the EU Parliament calling upon Pope Benedict XVI to carry out the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Luc-André Bouchard

On February 2, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bouchard Bishop of Trois-Rivières to succeed Bishop Martin Veillette, who reached the age of 75 and, by Canon Law, must submit his resignation to the Pope.

Maeve O'Boyle

O'Boyle was asked to perform at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on 16 September 2010 for Pope Benedict XVI where he was performing an open air mass for 100,000 people.

Maria Teresa of St. Joseph

In December 2005, Pope Benedict XVI approved the miracle necessary for her beatification.

Mario Borghezio

In October of 2012 Borghezio cosponsored with fellow MEP Lorenzo Fontana a motion for a declaration by the EU Parliament calling upon Pope Benedict XVI to carry out the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Medicinal Fried Chicken

The episode also included several jokes about Pope Benedict XVI and the child sexual abuse scandals that had been surrounding the Catholic Church at the time.

Michael Irwin

On 15 September 2010, Irwin, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.

Minnesota Amendment 1

In March 2012, Minnesota's Roman Catholic bishops had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI, who told them that preserving the traditional definition of marriage was a priority.

Mohammad-Ali Taskhiri

He was a signatory to an intellectual letter from 38 Muslim scholars, sent as the official Islamic response to Islamophobic comments made by Pope Benedict XVI on September 12, 2006.

National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies

Flowers were provided at Westminster Abbey on 17 September 2010 during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom, when flowers in the papal colours of white and yellow were arranged.

Pierre-Marie Carré

On May 14, 2010 he was appointed coadjutor Archbishop to the Archdiocese of Montpellier by Pope Benedict XVI.

Piłsudski Square

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated an open-air Holy Mass on the Square on 26 May 2006, during his first pastoral visit to Poland.

Plainsong

But, since Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, use of the Tridentine rite has increased; this, along with other papal comments on the use of appropriate liturgical music, is promoting a new plainsong revival.

Pontiflex

The startup found itself in the spotlight when the Vatican announced Pope Benedict XVI’s Twitter handle as @pontifex.

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

The English translations of the works of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) also use the RSV-CE or its Second Edition.

Rogers Cadenhead

In 2005, Cadenhead achieved brief notoriety for registering the domain name benedictxvi.com several weeks before the name was chosen by Pope Benedict XVI, joking that he would give it to the Vatican in exchange for a mitre and "complete absolution, no questions asked, for the third week of March 1987."

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio

On October 14, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Gustavo Garcia-Siller as archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno

On December 23, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Randolph Roque Calvo, of the Archdiocese of San Francisco as the seventh Bishop of Reno.

Roman Catholicism in Suriname

Roman Catholicism in Suriname is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, and is under the spiritual leadership of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI.

Roy Bourgeois

Holding that the Roman Catholic church has no authority to ordain women, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed the church's ban on women priests at the Vatican's 2012 Holy Thursday chrism Mass.

Suspicious Cheese Lords

Cervantes composed a setting of "The Prayer of St. Francis" which the Lords performed for Pope Benedict XVI on April 17, 2008, during an inter-religious meeting at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington.

Terry Drainey

Three years later, on 12 April 2006, he was appointed a Papal Chaplain by Pope Benedict XVI with the title of Monsignor.

Thomas John Rodi

Pope Benedict XVI later named Rodi the second Archbishop of Mobile on April 2, 2008, replacing longtime incumbent Oscar Hugh Lipscomb.

Thomas Joseph Murphy

Murphy's appointment came after a series of controversies surrounding Hunthausen which included an apostolic visitation to the archdiocese ordered by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Timothy Broglio

Pope Benedict XVI later named Broglio head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA on November 19, 2007.

Victor Gnanapragasam

On 29 April 2010 Pope Benedict XVI elevated the apostolic prefecture of Quetta, to the rank of Apostolic vicariate, with the same name and territorial configuration as before.

Victor Hermann Balke

After being the Bishop of Crookston for 31 years, and one day before his 76th birthday, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Michael Joseph Hoeppner as the new Bishop of Crookston.


Assyrians in Iraq

The Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy arose from a lecture delivered on 12 September 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI at the University of Regensburg in Germany.

Benetton Group

On November 17, 2011 The Vatican announced that it would take legal action against Benetton after the company used a photo purportedly showing Pope Benedict XVI kissing Ahmed Mohamed el Tayeb, the imam of the Al Azhar mosque in Egypt.

Bishop of Paisley

Following the retirement of Bishop Mone, Philip Tartaglia was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to be the new bishop on 13 September 2005 and was consecrated at St Mirin's Cathedral on 20 November 2005.

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen

On March 20, 2012 Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut became 16th Archbishop of Baltimore succeeding Cardinal Edwin F. O'Brien, who was named Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem by Pope Benedict XVI.

Church of the Nativity

The Bas-relief of the Tree of Jesse is a large work by well-known religious sculptor Czesław Dźwigaj which was recently incorporated into the Church of St. Catherine as a gift of Pope Benedict XVI during his trip to the Holy Land in 2009.

Corrado Pizziolo

On November 19, 2007, Pizziolo was appointed Bishop of Vittorio Veneto by Pope Benedict XVI.

Dino Monduzzi

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his funeral Mass on the following 16 October and his remains were then buried in his family tomb in Brisighella.

Donald Walter Trautman

In June 2011, Bishop Trautman turned 75, at which point Canon Law requests that a bishop tender his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI.

Eugene Nugent

On 13 February 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Madagascar and Apostolic Delegate to the Comoros (papal representative to the Catholic communities in both countries but accredited only to the government of Madagascar) and Titular Archbishop of Domnach Sechnaill (Dunshaughlin) County Meath, Ireland.

Florencio Olvera Ochoa

He was ordained priest in Querétaro, Mexico in 1958, was appointed bishop of Tabasco in 1992 and bishop of Cuernavaca in 2002.On July 10, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation for reaching the age limit of 75 years.

Holy Rosary Church, Quetta

On 29 April 2010 Pope Benedict XVI elevated the apostolic prefecture of Quetta to the rank of apostolic vicariate.

Holy See–Pakistan relations

On 1 October 2009, Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, met Pope Benedict XVI at his residence in Castelgandolfo and then also met with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States.

Holy See–United Arab Emirates relations

Pope Benedict XVI mentioned that he respected the efforts of the U.A.E.'s leaders in promoting tolerance; in addition, the Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone described the U.A.E. as a model for co-existence among various religions, adding that dialogue between faiths was possible and that extremists only constituted a limited number of followers of religious faiths.

ICEL Psalter

Because of controversies surrounding ICEL's use of dynamic equivalence and gender-inclusive language, by order of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, the imprimatur was revoked in 1998 by Bishop Anthony Pilla.

Jānis Pujats

He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.

Jerusalem Bible

In 2007, at the behest of Pope Benedict XVI, the use of the name 'Yahweh' was dropped from Catholic Bibles, most notably the new CTS Catholic Bible, which uses the Jerusalem text (see below).

Jose S. Palma

On 18 March 2006, Palma was appointed Archbishop of Palo by Pope Benedict XVI, succeeding Archbishop-Emeritus Pedro R. Dean.

Juan Carlos Patino-Arango

While studying in a Roman Catholic seminary, he allegedly molested four boys, who have since filed suit against him, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza and Pope Benedict XVI, charging that the church conspired to cover up the crime.

Manuel Lozano Garrido

In December 2009 Pope Benedict XVI authorised the recognition of a miracle (attributed to Manuel's intercession) in the cure of two-year-old Rogelio de Haro Sagra in 1972; the child had suffered from multiple organ failure due to Gram-negative sepsis.

Martin Grossman

In the days before his execution, there were a large number of appeals for clemency, ranging from petitions to pleas, as well as a request to halt the execution from Pope Benedict XVI.

Michael Noakes

He has also painted President Clinton, making preparatory studies with the President in the Oval Office - one of only very few painters to have been given such access to any President of the United States - and Pope Benedict XVI.

Pedro Rubiano Sáenz

In 2002, he was elected president of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, and he was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Péter Erdő

On Tuesday, 18 September 2012, Cardinal Erdő was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to be one of the Synod Fathers for the upcoming October 2012 Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.

Pontifical Mission Societies

On June 26, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Protase Rugambwa, who until then had been serving as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kigoma (based in Kigoma, Tanzania; he had been named bishop there on

Redemptoris Mater Chapel

The current Apostolic Preacher, Capuchin Friar Father Raniero Cantalamessa often presides over the homilies in the chapel and is occasionally used by Pope Benedict XVI.

Robert Anthony Daniels

Until his appointment to that see by Pope Benedict XVI, on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, he had been Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario, Canada.

Robert Brom

On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, announced that Pope Benedict XVI had appointed Auxiliary Bishop Cirilo Flores of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange as the Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Brom in the Diocese of San Diego.

Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu

On May 17, 2005 Pope Benedict XVI appointed the fifth bishop of Honolulu Msgr. Clarence Silva, who was consecrated and installed on July 21, 2005.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan

His early resignation due to his deteriorating health was approved by Pope Benedict XVI on January 25, 2013.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Niigata

Our Lady of Akita was formally approved in 1988 when Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gave definitive judgement on the Akita events and messages as reliable and worthy of belief.

St Mary Magdalen's Church, Brighton

Hugh Gerard McGrellis (known as Gerry) has been an altar server at the church for over 70 years and was awarded the Benemerenti medal by Pope Benedict XVI in recognition of his services.

Susan Blackmore

On 15 September 2010, Blackmore, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.

Teemu Sippo

In June 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Helsinki, succeeding Josef Wrobel, who had been appointed auxiliary bishop of Lublin.

Valentin Streltsov

2007 - Was awarded Pontifical medal by Pope Benedict XVI after the decoration of the Papal Chapel of Apostolic Nunciate in Ottawa (Canada).

Vatican Television Center

VTC produced many documentaries during the reigns of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

The orchestra under Maestro Barenboim, in the presence of President and Mrs. Giorgio Napolitano, performed for Pope Benedict XVI at the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, the abbot Saint Benedict of Nursia's (the founder of the Benedictines) feast day, and thus the name day of the Pope.

World Day of the Sick

In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation during this feast day, and he cited his declining health as his reason for retiring.