Pope Benedict XVI
Roman Catholic Church
Born Joseph Ratzinger in 1927, in Germany, Ratzinger served in the army until he deserted in 1944 and was briefly held as an American prisoner of war. When he was released he went back to a life of Catholic studies and was ordained in 1951. He taught in various universities and became recognized as an expert in Catholic theology. In 1981 Pope John Paul II named him the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. As a cardinal, Ratzinger rose into John Paul II's inner circle, and was named dean of the College of Cardinals in 2002. After the death of John Paul II in 2005, he was elected by the College of Cardinals and became Pope Benedict XVI.
Photos from In God's Name
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Spiritual Leaders
- Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Orthodox Church
- Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi), a Hindu spiritual leader
- Pope Benedict XVI, head of the Roman Catholic Church
- The Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists
- Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, a prominent Shi'ite Muslim leader
- Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and President of the Lutheran World Federation
- High Priest Michihisa Kitashirakawa, Daiguji (Shinto Priest) of the Grand Shrine of Ise
- Rabbi Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel, Ashkenazi
- Dr. Frank Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention
- Imam Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, Sheikh of Al-Azhar and a prominent Sunni Muslim leader
- Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the Sikhs' highest authority
- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England