Pilgrimage to Auschwitz

A traditionalist, Benedict succeeded John Paul II on April 19, 2005 after spending a quarter-century as the enforcer of doctrine in an office formerly known as the Inquisition. A scholar, Benedict spent years penning by hand his philosophical take on the life of Jesus Christ in a three-volume book. He was an enemy of moral relativism and considered it his main job to resist some of the changes sweeping modern society.

Left, Pope Benedict XVI walks through the entrance of the Auschwitz concentration camp near Oswiecim, Poland, on May 28, 2006.