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[[Image:Pope Benedict XVI 1.jpg|right|200px]]

[[Image:Pope Benedict XVI 1.jpg|right|200px]]

His Holiness '''Benedict XVI''' ('''Joseph Alois Ratzinger''', born April 16, 1927 in [[Bavaria]]) is the current [[Pope]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] (2005-), succeeding [[John Paul II]].

His Holiness '''Benedict XVI''' ('''Joseph Alois Ratzinger''', born April 16, 1927 in [[Bavaria]]) is the current [[Pope]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] (2005-), succeeding [[John Paul II]].

==Early Life==

==Early Life==

He was born in Marktl am Inn, [[Germany]] on April 16, 1927 as Joseph Ratzinger. As a child, he lived  in Traunstein where much of his philosophy developed. Ratzinger joined the [[Hitler Youth]] in 1939 - membership being required by law - but was unenthusiastic and refused to attend meetings.<ref name=%26quot%3Bnew_pope_defied_nazis%26quot%3B%26gt%3Bhttp%3A%2F%2Fbc%2Eedu%2Fresearch%2Fcjl%2Fmeta-elements%2Ftexts%2Fcjrelations%2Ftopics%2Fnew_pope_defied_nazis%2Ehtm%26lt%3B%2Fref%26gt%3B At the end of 1944, he was drafted into the German Army and assigned to the Traustein Garrison. He deserted in April or May 1945. <ref name=%26quot%3Bnew_pope_defied_nazis%26quot%3B /><ref>Blanco, Pablo. A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger.</ref>

He was born in Marktl am Inn, [[Germany]] on April 16, 1927 as Joseph Ratzinger. As a child, he lived  in Traunstein where much of his philosophy developed. Ratzinger joined the [[Hitler Youth]] in 1939 - membership being required by law - but was unenthusiastic and refused to attend meetings.<ref name="new_pope_defied_nazis">http://bc.edu/research/cjl/meta-elements/texts/cjrelations/topics/new_pope_defied_nazis.htm</ref> At the end of 1944, he was drafted into the German Army and assigned to the Traustein Garrison. He deserted in April or May 1945. <ref name="new_pope_defied_nazis" /><ref>Blanco, Pablo. A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger.</ref>

Ratzinger's father opposed Nazism.

Ratzinger's father opposed Nazism.