Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. On April 19, 2005 the emergence of white smoke over the Sistine Chapel in Rome manifested that the new leader of the Catholic Church had been elected German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, known for his conservative policies, became the 265th pope as well as the leader of the Holy See and the head of the Vatican City State. Learn more about Pope Ratzinger, his life prior the office of Bishop of Rome and his papacy in this book.