Pope Benedict XVI was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known as "Pope emeritus" upon his resignation, and he retained this title until his death in 2022.
Georg Ratzinger PA was a German Catholic priest and musician, known for his work as the conductor of the Regensburger Domspatzen, the cathedral choir of Regensburg. He was the elder brother of Pope Benedict XVI. Their grand-uncle was the German politician Georg Ratzinger.
Regensburg Cathedral, also known as St. Peter's Cathedral, is an example of important Gothic architecture within the German state of Bavaria. It is a landmark for the city of Regensburg, Germany, and the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Regensburg.
Joseph Ratzinger (1927–2022) was named by Pope John Paul II on 25 November 1981 as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) formerly known as the Holy Office and, especially around the 16th century, as the Roman Inquisition.
The Diocese of Regensburg is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church with its episcopal see based in Regensburg, Germany. Its district covers parts of northeastern Bavaria; it is subordinate to the archbishop of Munich and Freising. As of 2014, the diocese had 1.20 million Catholics, constituting 70% of its total population. The current bishop is Rudolf Voderholzer. The main diocesan church is Saint Peter in Regensburg. The diocese is divided into eight regions and 33 deaneries with 769 parishes. It covers an area of 14,665 km2.
The Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Europe has affected several dioceses in European nations. Italy is an exceptional case as the 1929 Lateran Treaty gave the Vatican legal autonomy from Italy, giving the clergy recourse to Vatican rather than Italian law.
Gerhard Ludwig Müller is a German cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as the Cardinal-Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) from his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 until 2017. Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of cardinal in 2014.
Franz Lehrndorfer was a German organist, composer, and pedagogue.
Theobald Schrems was the founder of the Musikgymnasium der Regensburger Domspatzen, a musical gymnasium for the boys' choir Regensburger Domspatzen at the Regensburg Cathedral.
Stefan Rauh is a German conductor, publisher (Sonat-Verlag), church musician and composer.
Nikolaus Hillebrand is a German operatic bass-baritone, who was engaged at the Bavarian State Opera, among others, and appeared at international festivals such as Bayreuth and Taormina. As a boy he was a member of the Regensburger Domspatzen, and returned to record sacred music with the group as a soloist.
Roland Büchner is a German church musician and conductor. He has been the director (Domkapellmeister) at the Regensburg Cathedral, conducting the boys' choir Regensburger Domspatzen.
Joseph Hanisch was a Bavarian, Roman Catholic organist and conductor. Hanisch was based in Regensburg from 1829 until his death in 1892.
Heiner Hopfner was a German opera, lied and concert singer as well as a singing teacher in the tenor vocal range.
Patrick Lange is a German conductor.
Carl Josef Thiel was a German organist, church musician and professor of music.
Karl Norbert Schmid was a German organist, composer, choir director and music educator.
Rudolf Pohl was a German Catholic prelate, musician, and choral conductor based at the Aachen Cathedral, where he led the Aachener Domchor to international recognition and revived a school for its boys' choir. He edited sacred music by Johannes Mangon, who had worked at the Cathedral in the 16th century.
Wolfram Menschick was a German Catholic church musician, composer and academic teacher. From 1969 to 2002 he was responsible for the church music at Eichstätt Cathedral, also serving the Diocese of Eichstätt as music director and organ expert. He was a bell expert, a member of a national council. From 1986 to 2000, he was a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. His compositions, including 36 masses, are frequently performed.
