Pope Benedict XVI speaks to mark the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council at the Vatican on Oct. 11, 2012. The 85-year-old pontiff cited his "advanced age" and diminishing strength as reasons for his resignation.
Ratzinger is seen with Pope John Paul II in 1979. Two years later, John Paul II tapped Ratzinger to head the Vatican's doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In September 2006, Pakistani Muslims hold a rally in Multan, Pakistan, to protest the pope's controversial comments on Islam. During a speech in Germany, the pontiff had quoted a Byzantine emperor who disparaged Islam.
In July 2008, Pope Benedict visits St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, Australia, and apologizes explicitly for the first time to victims of sex abuse by Catholic clergy, expressing his shame and calling for the perpetrators of "evil" to be brought to justice.
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