Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI leading

"Dear brothers and sisters, after the great John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me a simple humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord" (Pope Benedict XVI). Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16,1927, in Marktyl am Inn, Germany, where he grew up in the small town of Traunstein located in the Southern German region of Bavaria. Growing up was not easy for his family, during his childhood Hitler had gained power and tired to wipe out the entire Jewish population. Throughout this time of fear and death, Joseph knew that many people had lost hope and never had the chance to fulfill their dreams; Pope Benedict XVI is inspiring people all over the world to follow their passionate dreams. Young Joseph always dreamed of becoming a priest, following in his siblings footsteps. He was ordained a priest in 1951 and became Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany. In 1998 he became Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals, and he was elected pope on April 19,2005. Pope Benedict XVI established himself as a hero by being a strong leader, advocating for the disadvantaged, and preaching peaceful resolutions to world conflicts.

Helping the disadvantage (thepapalvisit.org.uk (google))

Pope Benedict XVI traveled around the world, where millions of people, young and old, had come to greet him and listen to his message. To reach more people on a regular basis, he has recently started to tweet in 7 major languages; he has over a million followers already. The pope wants to guide God's children back to the original teachings of the church: "As a universal pastor, he has led Catholics back to the basics of their faith, catechizing them on Christianity's foundational practices, writings and beliefs, ranging from the Confessions of St. Augustine to the sign of the cross." (CNS story) Pope Benedict XVI has noticed a change in the conduct of Catholics and wants to guide them back to the basics of their faith. He has stressed the teachings of the early church's Fathers, stating that they should still be relevant and followed in our daily practices. The pope is defending the sanctity of life: "In his first months as pope, Benedict embarked on a series of initiatives that quickly dispelled any idea that his would be a low-key papacy. He plunged into an Italian vote that would have ended restrictions on in-vitro fertilization, leading the ultimately successful attempt to defeat the measure. "( Gale Virtual Reference) The pope is a staunch believer in the sanctity of life. He is not afraid to deal with controversial topics, enforcing the church's views. He speaks strongly against abortion and euthanasia. As pope he had lead many religion based trips, around the world and had preached this belief and spread the word of God.

Creating peace in the Middle East (catholicism.about.com (google))

The Vicar of Christ has fought for the causes of victims and the less fortunate. He has stepped in and tried to help the innocent victims marred by the churches recent scandals: " The pope expressed his personal shame at the priestly sex abuse scandal that had shaken the church in the United States, meeting and praying with a group of abuse victims. It was a gesture he would repeat three months later on a trip to Australia for World Youth Day." (CNS story) The Bishop of Rome had taken a stand by putting an end to all the problematic priests in different diocese. The humble man is very sympathetic towards the victims, which symbolize the importance of helping the disadvantage through their tough times. The pope is worried about his church in the Middle East where wars and conflicts are widespread: "He has watched as the church in Iraq imploded, and knows that many Christians fear the same thing may be about to happen in Egypt, Syria, and elsewhere." Instead, the trip ( to the Middle East) shapes up as an experiment in whether Benedict's basically "apolitical" vision of the Christian future in the Middle East has legs" (John Allen). The pope is concerned about the fate of the Christians in the Arab world, in light of the Arab Spring. He doesn't want the Christian minority to get involved in the feud between the majority Muslim population and their governments, as expressed in his latest visit to Lebanon, in September of 2012. He continually urges the world to stop the slaughter in war ravaged Syria, where more than 60,000 people have been killed. The pope is on the side of any victim regardless of their religious beliefs.

The Holy Father has traveled around the world spreading peace to all. The German Pontiff is addressing the moral and social decay in our society; to counter this crisis, he has proposed Christianity as a religion of love, not rules. Its core mission, he has said repeatedly, "Is to help people accept God's love and share it, recognizing that true love involves a willingness to make sacrifices" ( CNS story). The Christian religion is a path to not only salvation, by to moral and social justice. A person who makes sacrifices is not selfish, but a better member of society. The Pontiff is encouraging others to bring peace into their communities: "His counsel, albeit voiced mostly by example rather than explicit instructions, will likely be to avoid partisan politics, focusing on a humanitarian role as reconcilers, peace-makers and dispensers of charity across sectarian and ideological divides" (John Allen). The pope leads by example, teaching the people that being different, should not have an impact on how we treat each other. He wants people to spread peace, regardless of their differences. Stating that no matter how old you are, or how what race you are everyone deserves peace.

Pope Benedict XVI portrays himself as a heroic figure by being leading the Catholics, advocating for the disadvantaged, and being a top peacemaker. The Bishop of Rome is an inspiration of mine because he is a very caring and thoughtful man, who has devoted his entire life towards helping others and spreading the word of God. He has inspired me to got out and help the needy, while giving back to the community. The pope has made me more aware of my Catholic heritage, by learning about his appearances and differences he has made to the country. We need more people that are willing to step up their game and make the world a safer and more suitable place to live. The world needs more people like my hero Pope Benedict XVI.

Works Consulted

Allen JR., John L. "Pope Benedict's Apolitical Line on the Middle East, and Christians in Syria." National Catholic Reporter. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

Benedict, Pope, XVI." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 26. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 295-297. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

Benedict XVI." Britannica Biographies (2012): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web. 9 Dec. 2012.

"Pope Benedict XVI Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. .

Pope Benedict XVI." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 26. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2012.