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Archbishop of Munich and Freising

On March 25, 1977, Joseph Ratzinger was appointed archbishop of Munich and Freising by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on May 28, 1977 from Joseph Stangl, Bishop of Würzburg, at the Munich Frauenkirche.

The newly appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Joseph Ratzinger, made his first visit to the Freising Bishops’ Conference on March 31, 1977.

Joseph Ratzinger takes his oath of allegiance to the constitution of Bavaria at the Residenz in Munich. On the right is Alfons Goppel, then-Minister-President of the Free State of Bavaria.

Joseph Ratzinger (right), Archbishop of Munich and Freising, was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977.

Joseph Ratzinger, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, is enthusiastically greeted by people of Munich on July 1, 1977. He had recently been granted the title of cardinal by Paul VI in Rome.

Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger with his sister Maria Ratzinger (1921-1991).

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Archbishop of Munich, reports on the World Synod of Bishops at a press conference in Munich on October 30, 1980.

Children from the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising greet their archbishop after receiving their First Communion.

Archbishop Ratzinger checks the sharpness of an Alpine militiaman’s saber.

Bishop Johannes Joachim Degenhardt, Archbishop of Paderborn; Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Archbishop of Munich and Freising; Cardinal Joseph Höffner, Chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference; and Archbishop Guido Del Mestri, Apostolic Nuncio (from left to right) during the Spring Plenary Assembly of the German Bishops’ Conference in Ludwigshafen on February 13, 1978.

Homily during a pontifical mass at Munich’s Frauenkirche.

Archbishop Ratzinger engaged in conversation in Munich’s Marienplatz.

Leaving Munich, heading to Rome:

Joseph Ratzinger bids farewell to the faithful in Munich’s Marienplatz on February 28, 1982. Pope John Paul II had called Raztinger to Rome. As Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger worked alongside John Paul II before succeeding him to the chair of Peter in 2005.