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  Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 to 2013. He was the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415, and his resignation took effect on February 28, 2013. Pope Benedict was born in Germany in 1927 and was ordained a priest in 1951. He served in various academic and leadership roles within the Catholic Church before being elected pope in 2005. During his papacy, Pope Benedict focused on issues such as the role of the Church in modern society, the protection of human life and dignity, and the promotion of interfaith dialogue. He also faced challenges such as the sexual abuse scandals within the Church and the decline of Catholicism in Europe. Pope Benedict retired to a monastery within the Vatican walls after his resignation and has largely remained out of the public eye since then. Pope Francis was elected as his successor in 2013.