When Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope in 2005, the choice divided Catholics. Traditionalists cheered the appointment of a man who, as a cardinal, had for two decades ruled the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog with a mitre of iron. Liberals feared the conclave had made the most divisive choice imaginable. But Pope Benedict XVI turned out to be a pope of surprises — a tradition he maintained with his shock decision to resign. The surprises began when he issued his first major teaching document.u00a0

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he leaves after leading a Holy Mass for the Solemnity of the presentation of Our Lord this month at St Peter’s basilica at the Vatican. AFP Photo