Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI (; ; ; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger; ; 16 April 1927) served as Pope of the Catholic Church and as sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. The Vatican announced his withdrawal by bestowing him the title Pope Emeritus shortly after his resignation. Ordained as a priest in 1951 in his native Bavaria, Ratzinger had established himself as a highly regarded university theologian by the late 1950s and was
Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille Bavaria. On 20 July 2011, the medal was elevated to the rank of an order. Many politicians received the medal, including Franz Götz and Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Members of the Bavarian parliament receive it usually after three legislative periods (formerly 12 years, now 15 years of service), ministers typically after one term (formerly 4 years, now five years). The medal has been awarded also to artists such as ballerina Konstanze Vernon, and clerics such as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, the later pope. Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille The Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille (Bavarian Constitution Medal) is an award by the German state Bavaria, which is awarded annually