"(Joseph) Ratzinger speaks ten languages and has received seven honorary doctorate degrees. He is an accomplished pianist with a preference for Beethoven.
He is the eighth German pope. At 78, Ratzinger is only two years short of the 80-year age limit on popes.
In April, 2005, he was identified as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine [1].
On April 19, 2005 he was elected as the successor to Pope John Paul II after 2 days of papal conclave."
