Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005, replacing the late John Paul II, one of the most popular pontiffs of recent times. Now, following 2,000-year-old church traditions, Benedict XVI leads some one billion followers worldwide by both command and consent. His controversial past as head of the Catholic agency formerly known as the Inquisition may be prologue to his future leadership; as such, he remains a controversial and complex counterforce to liberal and radical forces in the church. This timely biography examines the pope's life and times, and ponders an important question for both Catholics and non-Catholics: How will Benedict XVI use his newfound influence?

 

This book is part of a book series called Modern World Leaders .

This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 104 pages in this book. This book was published 2006 by Chelsea House Publishers .

Clifford W. Mills is a writer and editor living in Jacksonville, Florida. He has written biographies of Pope Benedict XVI and Virginia Woolf, compiled a volume of essays about J. D. Salinger, and been an editor for John Wiley & Sons and Oxford University Press.