# Benedict XVI elected (2005)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/2005-benedict-xvi-elected
Location: Vatican City
Themes: Papacy

Joseph Ratzinger succeeds John Paul II. At this point in the timeline (19 April 2005), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Benedict XVI (19 April 2005 – 28 February 2013).

## Why it matters
Benedict XVI elected mattered because it shaped the authority, policy or public role of the papacy and the Catholic Church.

Pope at the time: [Pope Benedict XVI](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-benedict-xvi)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Pope Benedict XVI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Benedict XVI elected](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Benedict+XVI+elected)
- [Wikipedia — Modern Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_20th_century)