Pope Benedict XVI's birth name was Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger. He was born on April 16, 1927. His homeland is Bavaria, Germany and he was born at his parents' house at 8:30 in the morning. Benedict was pope from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. He was elected pope after the death of Pope John Paul II. Joseph was ordained a priest in 1951. He was considered a theologian of great knowledge and was appointed professor in 1958. His writings defended Catholic doctrine and values. Ratzinger was baptized the same day he was born. He was the third child and was also the youngest of three. Benedict's brother also dedicated himself to the Catholic faith and became a priest. Joseph trained in the German infantry. He became a German soldier and was a prisoner of war in a camp. A few months later the United States released him at the end of the war in May 1945. Ratzinger became a professor at the University of Bonn in 1959. He had very strong opinions on topics such as birth control and homosexuality. Benedict XVI was elected pope at the age of 78. Since the time of Pope Clement XII, he is the oldest person to be elected pope. He was also the ninth German Pope ever. On the balcony of St. Peter's, Benedict's first words to the crowd were the following: “Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me as a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord. The fact that the Lord knows how to work and act even with insufficient tools consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In the joy of the risen Lord, confident in his always available help, we move forward. The Lord will help us and Mary, his Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you.” Joseph was pope during the First Wo...... half of the document ......In December 2012, Benedict joined Twitter. His first tweet was made on December 12 and was: “Dear friends, I am happy to contact you via Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless you all from my heart." Benedict has many different hobbies and interests. Benedict speaks fluent German, Italian, Spanish, Latin and English. He also plays the piano and likes the composers Beethoven and Mozart. He has a pilot's license and flies the papal helicopter to his summer residence. However, he never learned to drive a car. Benedict loves cats and owns 2 of them. Bavarian potato ravioli with pancake strips is known as his favorite dish. Benedict was the first pope ever to own an iPod, and his childhood stuffed animal is still in his possession. Benedict recently celebrated his 81st birthday at the White House and is still connected on Twitter.