text: how old is the pope benedict xvi?   79 years old... and some more info....   joseph alois ratzinger was born on 16 april, holy saturday, 1927 at schulstraße 11, his parents' home in marktl am inn, an area of germany. he was baptized the same day. he was the third and youngest child of joseph ratzinger, sr., a police officer, and maria ratzinger (née peintner). his mother's family was originally from south tyrol. pope benedict xvi's brother, georg ratzinger, a priest and former director of the regensburger domspatzen choir, is still alive. his sister, maria ratzinger, who never married, managed cardinal ratzinger's household until her death in 1991. their great-uncle was the german politician georg ratzinger.    pope benedict xvi (latin: benedictus pp. xvi; italian: benedetto xvi), born joseph alois ratzinger on april 16, 1927 in marktl am inn, bavaria, germany) is the 265th and reigning pope of the roman catholic church, and as such, sovereign of the vatican city state.[1] he was elected on april 19, 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his papal inauguration mass on april 24, 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the basilica of st. john lateran, on may 7, 2005. pope benedict xvi has both german and vatican citizenship. he succeeded pope john paul ii, who died on april 2, 2005.