The Path of Pope Benedict XVI

Forced to Serve
Born on April 16, 1927 in a small German town near the Czechoslovak border, Joseph Ratzinger grew up in the Germany of Adolph Hitler. His father, a devout Catholic, could not abide by Nazism and the family was forced to move frequently. He was, at age 14, a member of the Hitler youth, a requirement of all young boys at that time. The same year he was inducted, the Nazis killed his cousin, who suffered from Down Syndrome, as part of their program to eliminate the mentally ill.

• Pope Benedict XVI Visits America