Previous Year Question
With reference to Pope Benedict XVI, who died recently, which of the following statement/s is/are correct?
He was a native of Germany.
He was the first Pope to resign in 600 years.
Select the correct answer using the code given below—
Only 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Only 1
Both 1 and 2
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. Pope Benedict XVI's original name was Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger. He was born on 16 April 1927 at Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany.
He was elected Pope of the Catholic Church on 19 April 2005 and adopted the name Benedict XVI. He was the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church.
Statement 2 is also correct. Benedict XVI announced his decision to resign from the papacy on 11 February 2013, and his pontificate ended on 28 February 2013.
His resignation was historic because he became the first Pope in approximately 600 years to resign. Before him, Gregory XII had relinquished the papacy in 1415.
Benedict XVI died in the Vatican on 31 December 2022 at the age of 95.