Editing Pope Benedict XVI (section)

=== Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: 1981–2005 ===
{{Main|Joseph Ratzinger as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith}}

On 25 November 1981, Pope John Paul{{nbsp}}II, upon the retirement of [[Franjo Šeper]], named Ratzinger as the Prefect of the [[Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]], formerly known as the "Sacred Congregation of the [[Holy Office]]", the historical [[Roman Inquisition]]. Consequently, he resigned from his post in Munich in early 1982. He was promoted within the College of Cardinals to become [[Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni]] in 1993 and was made the college's vice-dean in 1998 and [[Dean of the College of Cardinals|dean]] in 2002. Just a year after its foundation in 1990, Ratzinger joined the [[European Academy of Sciences and Arts]] in Salzburg.<ref>[http://www.theology.de/theologie/theologen/papstbenediktxvi.php theology] → Biography Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI → Mitgliedschaften → EuropAcad → 1991</ref><ref>[http://www.abitur-werne.de/english/religion/bio-pope-benedict.html Biography of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114500/http://www.abitur-werne.de/english/religion/bio-pope-benedict.html |date=4 March 2016}} → Mitgliedschaften → EuropAcad → 1991</ref>

[[File:Ratzinger-Rom88.JPG|thumb|left|upright|Cardinal Ratzinger in Rome, 1988]]
Ratzinger defended and reaffirmed Catholic doctrine, including teaching on topics such as [[birth control]], homosexuality, and inter-religious dialogue. The theologian [[Leonardo Boff]], for example, was suspended, while others such as [[Matthew Fox (priest)|Matthew Fox]] were censured. Other issues also prompted condemnations or revocations of rights to teach: for instance, some posthumous writings of [[Jesuit]] priest [[Anthony de Mello (Jesuit priest)|Anthony de Mello]] were the subject of a [[Notification (Holy See)|notification]]. Ratzinger and the congregation viewed many of them, particularly the later works, as having an element of [[religious indifferentism]] (in other words, that Christ was "one master alongside others"). In particular, ''Dominus Iesus'', published by the congregation in the jubilee year 2000, reaffirmed many recently "unpopular" ideas, including the Catholic Church's position that "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." The document angered many Protestant churches by claiming that they are not churches, but "ecclesial communities".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html|title=Dominus Iesus|website=vatican.va}}</ref>

Ratzinger's 2001 letter ''{{lang|la|[[De delictis gravioribus]]}}'' clarified the confidentiality of internal church investigations, as defined in the 1962 document ''[[Crimen sollicitationis]]'', into accusations made against priests of certain crimes, including [[sexual abuse]]. This became a subject of controversy during the [[Catholic Church sexual abuse cases|sex abuse cases]].<ref name="observer-2001-let">{{cite news | first=Jamie | last=Doward | url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1469055,00.html | title=Pope 'obstructed' sex abuse inquiry |work=The Observer |location=London | date=24 April 2005 |access-date=14 July 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111031044043/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/apr/24/children.childprotection|archive-date=31 October 2011}}</ref> For 20 years, Ratzinger had been the man in charge of enforcing the document.<ref name="BBC2006Doc">''[[Sex Crimes and the Vatican]]'' ([http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/5402928.stm Quotation from an October 2006 BBC documentary]):
{{blockquote
| "The man in charge of enforcing it for 20 years was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the man made Pope last year. In 2001 he created the successor to the decree."
}}</ref>

While bishops hold the secrecy pertained only internally, and did not preclude investigation by civil law enforcement, the letter was often seen as promoting a coverup.<ref>{{cite news|title=UK Bishops Angered by BBC Attack on Pope |date=2 October 2006 |access-date=14 April 2008 |url=http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=71831 |agency=Catholic News Agency |publisher=Eternal Word Television Network |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128181538/http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=71831 |archive-date=28 January 2011}}</ref> Later, as pope, he was accused in a lawsuit of conspiring to cover up the molestation of three boys in [[Texas]], but sought and obtained [[diplomatic immunity]] from liability.<ref>[https://www.smh.com.au/news/world/pope-seeks-immunity-over-sex-abuse-suit/2005/08/17/1123958097061.html "Pope seeks immunity in Texas abuse case"], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' 17 August 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2011 [https://web.archive.org/web/20111001054349/http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/pope-seeks-immunity-over-sex-abuse-suit/2005/08/17/1123958097061.html WebCitation archive]</ref>

On 12 March 1983, Ratzinger, as prefect, notified the lay faithful and the clergy that Archbishop [[Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục]] had incurred [[excommunication]] ''[[latae sententiae]]'' for [[valid but illicit|illicit]] episcopal consecrations without the apostolic mandate. It is reported that in 1997, when he turned 70, Ratzinger asked Pope John Paul{{nbsp}}II for permission to leave the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith and to become instead the head of the [[Vatican Secret Archives]] and of the [[Vatican Library]], but John Paul refused his assent.<ref>Caldwell, Simon [https://web.archive.org/web/20130212082125/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/7928493/Pope-Benedict-wanted-to-be-a-librarian.html "Pope Benedict wanted to be a librarian"] ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 5 August 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2011 [https://web.archive.org/web/20130212082125/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/7928493/Pope-Benedict-wanted-to-be-a-librarian.html WebCitation archive]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=7114|title=Cardinal Ratzinger asked to resign in 1997, become Vatican librarian &#124; News Headlines|website=catholicculture.org}}</ref>

Ratzinger engaged in [[Jürgen Habermas#XVI|a dialogue with critical theorist Jürgen Habermas]] in 2004, published three years later by [[Ignatius Press]].<ref>{{Cite book |author1=Benedict XVI |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ERzoAPsS9usC&q=the+Dialectics+of+Secularization&pg=PP1 |title=Dialectics of Secularization: On Reason and Religion |last2=Habermas |first2=Jürgen |date=2006 |publisher=Ignatius Press |isbn=978-1-58617-166-7 |language=en}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=January 2023}}