Pope Benedict XVI, a misunderstood man of God

Pope Benedict was not well treated by the media and he finally resigned as head of the church in February 2013.  Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi

The German theologian and philosopher Joseph Ratzinger, who was head of the Roman Catholic Church for eight years as Pope Benedict XVI, has died at the age of 95. Benedict resigned as pontiff in 2013 citing declining physical and mental health. He had been seriously ill for some time.

Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was born in the southern German state of Bavaria on 16 April 1927. He was ordained a Catholic priest on the same day as his older brother Georg in June, 1951. He was 24 years old.