Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005, replacing the late John Paul II, one of the most popular pontiffs of all times. Now, following 2,000-year-old church traditions, Benedict XVI leads some one billion followers worldwide by both command and consent. This biography examines the pope's life and times.
This series offers absorbing accounts of the leaders whose ideas and actions have changed the course of history. Enhanced by full-color photographs, each book examines the leader's life in the context of the politics of the time.