Joseph Ratzinger was elected to the papacy three days after his 78th birthday on 19 April 2005, taking the name Benedict XVI. His unenviable task was to follow the 26 year pontificate of the Polish pontiff, John Paul II. The elderly cardinal was preparing for his retirement before he was thrust into the limelight. Given his age, many presumed the pontificate would be brief. Perhaps a caretaker pope until a suitable candidate could be found from the lively churches of Asia, Latin America or Africa?

Benedict has confounded observers. Critics point to his slow reaction to important issues such as clerical child abuse. His supporters cite his theological discourses and efforts to heal Jewish and Muslim sensibilities. Yet neither view is entirely accurate. While Benedict was not proactive in healing the victims of clerical child abuse, he was forced into a reactive role which led to vital improvements and the reporting of all perpetrators to civil authorities. His outreach to Jews and Muslims was marred by approval of the beatification of Pius XII and a potentially explosive quotation from a 14th century writer which deeply offended many Muslims in 2006. At the same time, the German pontiff seeks to persuade by reason rather than dictates favoured by some of his predecessors.

This new biography, marking the first five years of Benedict’s tenure, show how the unfolding pontificate has been one of light and shades and of several surprises. As leader of the world’s 1.24 billion Catholics, Benedict’s papacy continues to play an important role in the religious sphere as well as on the world political stage. The reader is given a comprehensive pen portrait of the Bavarian pope whose pontificate has been anything but predictable.