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Joseph Ratzinger was born into a traditional Bavarian farming family in 1927, but his father was a policeman.
He was elected pope in April 2005, after the death of Pope John Paul II, and chose the name Benedict XVI.
The eighth German to become pope speaks 10 languages and is said to be an accomplished pianist with a preference for Beethoven.
His many publications are spread out over a number of years and constitute a point of reference for many people, especially those interested in deep theology. In 1985 he published his interview book on the situation of the faith (The Ratzinger Report) and in 1996 Salt of the Earth. On the occasion of his 70th birthday the volume At the School of Truth was published, containing articles by several authors on different aspects of his personality and production.
In 2005 he accused Muslim leaders in Germany of failing to steer their youth from what he described as the darkness of a new barbarism.
On September 12 , 2006 , while delivering a lecture titled "Faith, Reason and the University" at the University of Regensburg, where he was formerly a professor, Pope Benedict quoted, without comment, the opinion of Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." The speech provoked outrage in the Muslim world and led to demands that the pontiff apologize for insulting Islam.
There were public protests, including violent ones in the West Bank where two churches were firebombed, over his comments in various countries in the subsequent days. There has been a death threat on the pope since the lecture from a group linked to Al-Qaeda.
Pope Benedict expressed his regret for any offense his words had given. "The Holy Father is very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers," said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone in a statement.
Many Muslims felt the statement fell short of an apology.
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