Pope

The Pope is the leader of the Catholic church, and is thought by his followers to be infallible when speaking ex cathedra &mdash; that is, when giving an official pronouncement on a matter of doctrine.

The current pope, elected on April 19, 2005, is Pope Benedict XVI, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Recent popes
Popes who reigned in the 20th century include:
 * Pope Pius X (4 August 1903 - 20 August 1914)
 * Pope Benedict XV (3 September 1914 - 22 January 1922)
 * Pope Pius XI (6 February 1922 - 10 February 1939)
 * Pope Pius XII (2 March 1939 - 9 October 1958)
 * Pope John XXIII (28 October 1958 - 3 June 1963)
 * Pope Paul VI (21 June 1963 - 6 August 1978)
 * Pope John Paul I (26 August 1978 - 28 September 1978)
 * Pope John Paul II (16 October 1978 - 2 April 2005)
 * Pope Benedict XVI (19 April 2005 - present)