Robert Benchley was an American humorist, actor, and drama critic, whose main persona, that of a slightly confused, ineffectual, socially awkward bumbler, served in his essays and short films to gain him the sobriquet “the humorist’s humorist.” This character allowed him to comment brilliantly on

benchmarking, technique of governance designed to improve the quality and efficiency of public services. In essence, benchmarking involves comparing specific aspects of a public problem with an ideal form of public action (the benchmark) and then acting to make the two converge. By making

Pollaiuolo brothers: Antonio learned goldsmithing and metalworking from either Vittore Ghiberti (son of Lorenzo) or Andrea del Castagno. Piero probably learned painting from Andrea del Castagno and became his brother’s associate in goldsmithing, painting, sculpture, and engraving.

Pollaiuolo brothers: Piero probably learned painting from Andrea del Castagno and became his brother’s associate in goldsmithing, painting, sculpture, and engraving.

Aleksandr Khristoforovich, Count Benckendorff was a general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as Tsar Nicholas I’s chief of police. Of Baltic-German origin, Benckendorff joined the Russian army and was one of the officers who assassinated Emperor Paul

Bengkulu, city, port, and capital of Bengkulu propinsi (or provinsi; province), southwestern Sumatra, Indonesia. It lies on the Indian Ocean, about 180 miles (290 km) southwest of Palembang. The British had a trading post there in the 17th century, and in 1710 the Fort of Marlborough was built. In

heraldry: Ordinaries: …perpendicularly through the centre; the bend, a third of the shield, drawn from the dexter chief to sinister base (when drawn from the dexter base to sinister chief, it is a bend sinister); the fess, a third drawn horizontally and taking up the centre of the shield; and the chevron,…

Bend, city, seat (1916) of Deschutes county, central Oregon, U.S. It lies along the Deschutes River, in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range (west), and is bordered by Pilot Butte (east). Laid out in 1904, the community grew after the Deschutes Irrigation and Power Company opened farmland for

A Bend in the River, novel by V.S. Naipaul, published in 1979. Reminiscent of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, A Bend in the River chronicles both an internal journey and a physical trek into the heart of Africa as it explores the themes of personal exile and political and individual corruption.

David Beckham: …and crosses; the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham paid homage to his kicking ability. After helping Manchester United win three more league titles (2000, 2001, and 2003), he left the team in 2003 to join the Spanish football club Real Madrid. Four years later he signed a record-setting deal…

Anthony Mann: The 1950s: westerns of Anthony Mann: …and Stewart teamed again in Bend of the River (1952), with Stewart as the leader of a wagon train traveling to Oregon that is about to be robbed by his former outlaw partner (Arthur Kennedy). The Naked Spur (1953), often considered the very best of Mann’s westerns, starred Stewart as…

Bend Sinister, novel by Vladimir Nabokov, published in 1947. It is the second novel that the Russian-born author wrote in English. It tells the story of Adam Krug, a philosopher who disregards his country’s totalitarian regime until his son David is killed by the forces he has attempted to

František Benda was an outstanding violinist of 18th-century Germany whose playing was celebrated for its cantabile (singing) quality and sophisticated embellishments. The eldest son of Jan Jiří Benda and his wife Dorota Brixi, both talented musicians, Benda studied under Johann Gottlieb Graun and

František Benda was an outstanding violinist of 18th-century Germany whose playing was celebrated for its cantabile (singing) quality and sophisticated embellishments. The eldest son of Jan Jiří Benda and his wife Dorota Brixi, both talented musicians, Benda studied under Johann Gottlieb Graun and

Georg Benda: Benda’s son Friedrich Ludwig Benda (1752–92) was a composer of theatrical music, cantatas, and instrumental works.

František Benda: His son Friedrich William Heinrich Benda (1745–1814) also became well known as a violinist and composer.

Georg Benda was a composer widely admired during his lifetime for his stage works. The third son of Jan Jiří Benda and his wife, Dorota Brixi, both musicians, and brother of the violinist František Benda, he went with his family to Berlin in 1742. He played violin in the royal orchestra (1742–49)

Georg Benda was a composer widely admired during his lifetime for his stage works. The third son of Jan Jiří Benda and his wife, Dorota Brixi, both musicians, and brother of the violinist František Benda, he went with his family to Berlin in 1742. He played violin in the royal orchestra (1742–49)

Georg Benda was a composer widely admired during his lifetime for his stage works. The third son of Jan Jiří Benda and his wife, Dorota Brixi, both musicians, and brother of the violinist František Benda, he went with his family to Berlin in 1742. He played violin in the royal orchestra (1742–49)

Julien Benda was a novelist and philosopher, leader of the anti-Romantic movement in French criticism, persistent defender of reason and intellect against the philosophical intuitionism of Henri Bergson. Benda graduated from the University of Paris in 1894. Among his first writings were articles

Wladyslaw Theodor Benda was a Polish American painter, illustrator, and designer. Benda studied art in Kraków, Pol., and in Vienna before coming to the United States in 1899. He settled in New York City, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1911. Benda’s illustrations were published in books and in a number

bendahara, in the traditional Malay states, the chief minister, second only to the sultan in rank, power, and authority; the office of bendahara (a Sanskrit title) grew in importance during the Malacca sultanate after 1400. Its functions included executing the sultan’s commands and acting as prime

photosynthesis: The pathway of electrons: …proposed by Robert Hill and Fay Bendall in 1960. This mechanism is based on the relative potential (in volts) of various cofactors of the electron-transfer chain to be oxidized or reduced. Molecules that in their oxidized form have the strongest affinity for electrons (i.e., are strong oxidizing agents) have a…

photoengraving: The benday process: An entirely mechanical procedure for production of a halftone image on a metal printing plate is the benday process (1879), named after its inventor, Benjamin Day, a New York newspaper engraver. This process utilizes a series of celluloid screens bearing raised images of…

Edo: …from the northern portion of Bendel state, the southern portion becoming Delta state. Prior to this, in 1963, the citizens of the territory had voted to separate from what was then the Western region, and the Mid-West region was created. This became Mid-Western state following the federal reorganization in 1967;…

Tighina, city, Moldova. Tighina lies along the right bank of the Dniester River below its confluence with the Bâcu (Byk). A settlement has existed on the site since the 2nd century bce. It came successively under the rule of Kiev, Moldavia, Genoa, Turkey, and, in 1818, after frequent attacks,

Somalia: Settlement patterns: Mogadishu, Berbera, and Boosaaso (Bosaso).

Charles Albert Bender was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher. He is credited with the invention of the pitch known as the slider. Bender’s mother was part Ojibwa, and his childhood was spent on a reservation and at schools for Native Americans. Because of this, Bender

Ereğli, town, northern Turkey. It is situated on the Black Sea coast about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Zonguldak. The town was founded about 560 bce as Heraclea Pontica by a colony of Megarians who soon subjected the native Mariandynians and extended their control over most of the coast. In 74

Tighina, city, Moldova. Tighina lies along the right bank of the Dniester River below its confluence with the Bâcu (Byk). A settlement has existed on the site since the 2nd century bce. It came successively under the rule of Kiev, Moldavia, Genoa, Turkey, and, in 1818, after frequent attacks,

Bendis: …created a state festival, the Bendideia, for her. The first celebration was held on the 19th of Thargelion (May–June), 429 bc, at the Piraeus, the seaport of Athens. The festival included two processions, a torch race on horseback, and a vigil; it provided the dramatic setting for Plato’s Republic.

Brân, (Celtic: “Raven”), gigantic Celtic deity who figured in the Mabinogion (a collection of medieval Welsh tales) as “crowned king over this Island” (i.e., Britain). Because of his stature, he and his court had to live in a tent, as no house had ever been built large enough to contain him. The

Bendigo, city, central Victoria, Australia, in the central upland area of the state; it is about 93 miles (150 km) northwest of Melbourne by road. Founded as a sheep run in 1840, the city’s official name was Sandhurst until 1891, when it was formally changed to honour a local prizefighter who

Bendigo was an English bare-knuckle boxer who became a Methodist evangelist and who is one of the few athletes whose name is borne by a city—Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. His nickname apparently is a corruption of the Old Testament name Abednego. Thompson was one of triplets; the other two were

Aldemir Bendine is a Brazilian business executive who served as CEO of Banco do Brasil (2009–15) and later of Petrobras (2015–16). Bendine began his association with the government-owned Banco do Brasil in 1978, when he began an internship at that bank at the age of 14. He later earned a bachelor’s

mechanics of solids: Linear elastic beam: …and have sufficient symmetry that bending it by applying a torque about the 3-direction causes the line to deform into an arc lying in the 1,2-plane. Make an imaginary cut through the line, and let the forces and torque acting at that section on the part lying in the direction…

mechanics of solids: Linear elastic beam: …torque M, commonly called a bending moment, about the positive 3-direction. The linear and angular momentum principles then require that the actions at that section on the part of the line lying along the direction of increasing X1 be of equal magnitude but opposite sign.

ship: Structural integrity: …the length to give the bending moment curve—a curve that usually has its maximum near mid-length. A value for bending stress can then be obtained by dividing the maximum bending moment by a beam section modulus of the hull structure, which is calculated from a detailed structural plan. For protection…

construction: Structural types: Bending structures include the girder, the two-way grid, the truss, the two-way truss, and the space truss. They have varying optimum depth-to-span ratios ranging from 1 : 5 to 1 : 15 for the one-way truss to 1 : 35 to 1 : 40 for…

papermaking: Strength and durability: …resistance of paper to a bending force is evident in the various operations of its manufacture and in its many uses. The range in this property extends from very soft, flexible tissues to rigid boards. Thicker and heavier sheets tend to be stiff, whereas soft, flexible sheets are light and…

chemical compound: Infrared (IR) spectroscopy: These movements are called bending vibrations. Both stretching and bending vibrations represent different energy levels of a molecule. These energy differences match the energies of wavelengths in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum—i.e., those ranging from 2.5 to 15 micrometres (μm; 1 μm = 10−6m). An infrared spectrophotometer…

Bendis, Thracian goddess of the moon; the Greeks usually identified her with the goddess Artemis. She is often represented holding two spears. Apart from areas adjacent to Thrace, the cult of Bendis gained prominence only in Athens. At the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians allowed

Marvel Comics: The Marvel universe: …new wave of writers, including Brian Michael Bendis (Daredevil, The Avengers), Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four), and Ed Brubaker (Captain America), became well known for their mature and sometimes controversial takes on Marvel’s characters. The 2010s saw the emergence of another new wave of talent, with writer Matt Fraction and artist…

Bendix Corporation, former American corporation founded in 1924 to manufacture automobile brake systems. In 1983 it became a subsidiary of Allied Corporation (see AlliedSignal), which merged with Honeywell in 1999. For much of the 20th century, Bendix was a leading manufacturer and supplier of

Bendix Corporation, former American corporation founded in 1924 to manufacture automobile brake systems. In 1983 it became a subsidiary of Allied Corporation (see AlliedSignal), which merged with Honeywell in 1999. For much of the 20th century, Bendix was a leading manufacturer and supplier of

monarchy: Premodern monarchies: …what the German-born American sociologist Reinhard Bendix called “a mandate of the people.” Thus, a society’s “sovereignty,” or its principles of independence, cohesion, and leadership, rested with its people as a whole and not with an individual and his or her dynasty.

Vincent Bendix was an American inventor and industrialist who contributed to the development of automobiles and aircraft. At the age of 16, Bendix ran away from home to New York City, where he studied engineering at night school. In 1907 he organized the Bendix Company of Chicago and produced more

John Farrow: Films of the 1940s: …Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, and William Bendix. It received an Academy Award nomination for best picture and earned Farrow his only nomination for best director. Other films set during World War II included Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942) with Paul Muni; China (1943), a thriller about war profiteers (Alan Ladd…

bridge: Ulrich Finsterwalder: Finsterwalder’s Bendorf Bridge over the Rhine at Koblenz, Germany, was completed in 1962 with thin piers and a centre span of 202 metres (673 feet). The double cantilevering method saved money through the absence of scaffolding in the water and also by allowing for reduced girder…

decompression sickness, physiological effects of the formation of gas bubbles in the body because of rapid transition from a high-pressure environment to one of lower pressure. Pilots of unpressurized aircraft, underwater divers, and caisson workers are highly susceptible to the sickness because

Radiohead: The Bends (1995) took even the band’s most ardent fans by surprise. A soaring, intense mix of the approaches of Nirvana and dramatic vocalist Jeff Buckley, the album’s powerful sense of alienation completely transcended the parochial issues of mid-1990s Britpop. Driving rockers such as “Bones”…

Bnei Brak, city, northeastern suburb of Tel Aviv–Yafo, west-central Israel, in the southern Plain of Sharon. In Assyrian texts, Bnei Brak is listed as a city that fell to Sennacherib, king of Assyria, in 701 bce. It is also mentioned in the Bible (Joshua 19) and was a well-known scholarly centre

Mizrahi Jew, member or descendant of the approximately 1.5 million Jews who lived in North Africa and the Middle East up until the mid-20th century and whose ancestors did not previously reside in Europe. Collectively labeled ʿEdot Ha-Mizraḥ (Hebrew: “Ethnic Groups of the East”) in Israel upon

Isaac ben Solomon Luria: …Order the Festive Meal”), and “Bene hekh-ala de-khesifin” (“Sons of the Temple of Silver”). They are mystical, erotic songs about “the adornment (or fitting) of the bride”—i.e., the sabbath, who was identified with the community of Israel—and on the other partzufim: arikh anpin (the long-suffering: the countenance of grace) and…

Bene Israel, the largest and oldest of several groups of Jews of India. Believed by tradition to have shipwrecked on the Konkan coast of western India more than 2,100 years ago, they were absorbed into Indian society, maintaining many Jewish observances while operating within the caste system. Of

Eliza Orzeszkowa: Bene nati (1892; “Wellborn”) describes the impoverished gentry of small villages.

Italian literature: Theatre: …admire the intense presence of Carmelo Bene (who died prematurely in 2002) in the episodic tableaux and declamatory voice-over of the antinarrative film version of his Nostra signora dei Turchi (1966; “Our Lady of the Turks”). Bene, Fo, and Fo’s talented wife, Franca Rame, are examples of the phenomenon of…

Samaritan, member of a community, now nearly extinct, that claims to be related by blood to those Israelites of ancient Samaria who were not deported by the Assyrian conquerors of the kingdom of Israel in 722 bce. The Samaritans call themselves Bene Yisrael (“Children of Israel”), or Shamerim

Planet of the Apes: …film resulted in four sequels: Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Director Tim Burton remade the first film in 2001.

Hermann Hesse: …the novel Unterm Rad (1906; Beneath the Wheel), in which an overly diligent student is driven to self-destruction.

The Wild One: Production notes and credits:

Ludwig August, Ritter von Benedek was an Austrian field marshal whose defeat at the Battle of Königgrätz (Battle of Sadowa) on July 3, 1866, was decisive in the emergence of Prussia as the predominant German power and the creation of a Prussian-dominated German Empire. Benedek entered the Austrian

Edouard van Beneden was a Belgian embryologist and cytologist best known for his discoveries concerning fertilization and chromosome numbers in sex cells and body cells. During his early years, van Beneden worked with his father, P.J. van Beneden, a professor of zoology at the Catholic University

Edouard van Beneden was a Belgian embryologist and cytologist best known for his discoveries concerning fertilization and chromosome numbers in sex cells and body cells. During his early years, van Beneden worked with his father, P.J. van Beneden, a professor of zoology at the Catholic University

Pierre-Joseph van Beneden was a parasitologist and paleontologist best known for his discovery of the life cycle of tapeworms (Cestoda). After an apprenticeship with the pharmacist Louis Stoffels, van Beneden studied medicine at the University of Louvain. In 1835 he was appointed professor of

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione was an Italian painter and one of the most important technical innovators in the history of printmaking. Beginning in the highly artificial style of Mannerism, Castiglione was a productive painter who left portraits (though very few survived from what had been a large

Jacopone Da Todi was an Italian religious poet, author of more than 100 mystical poems of great power and originality, and probable author of the Latin poem Stabat mater dolorosa. Born of a noble family and trained for the law, Jacopone practiced until his wife’s sudden death at a party about 1268

Mario Benedetti was an Uruguayan writer who was best known for his short stories. Benedetti was born to a prosperous family of Italian immigrants. His father was a viniculturist and a chemist. At age four the boy was taken to Montevideo, where he received a superior education at a private school.

Vincent, Count Benedetti was a French diplomat remembered chiefly for his role in the events leading up to the Franco-German War in 1870. Benedetti studied law in Paris and in 1840 entered consular service. He served in several embassies in Europe and the Middle East between 1845 and 1864, when he

Benedetto Croce’s life stretched from the early years of Italy’s unification to the era of stability that followed World War II. As a humanist, historian, and philosopher, he bore lifelong witness to his nation’s formative decades. Consequently, his historical and political writings often reveal

Benedetto da Maiano was an early Renaissance sculptor, whose work is characterized by its decorative elegance and realistic detail. He was greatly influenced by the Florentine sculptor Antonio Rossellino. His earliest surviving work is the shrine of S. Savino (1468–72) in the Faenza cathedral.

Tony Bennett was an American popular singer known for his smooth voice and interpretive abilities with songs in a variety of genres. He is considered one of the greatest vocal stylists in jazz and popular music. His distinctive way with a song is best heard on his biggest hit, “I Left My Heart in

Benedick, the young lord of Padua in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Together, Benedick and Beatrice wage a “merry war” of wits in which love triumphs over

Lennart Carleson: …his work with Swedish mathematician Michael Benedicks in 1991, which gave one of the first rigorous proofs that strange attractors exist in dynamical systems and has important consequences for the study of chaotic behaviour.

Benedict (X) was an antipope from April 1058 to January 1059. His expulsion from the papal throne, on which he had been placed through the efforts of the powerful Tusculani family of Rome, was followed by a reform in the law governing papal elections. The new law, enacted in 1059, established an

Benedict (XIII) was an antipope from 1394 to 1417. He reigned in Avignon, Provence, in opposition to the reigning popes in Rome, during the Western Schism (1378–1417), when the Roman Catholic Church was split by national rivalries claiming the papal throne. Of noble birth, he was professor of canon

Benedict (XIV) was a counter-antipope from 1425 to c. 1430. In 1417 the Council of Constance deposed the antipope Pope Benedict (XIII) and elected Martin V, thus officially terminating the Western Schism between Avignon and Rome. However, Benedict, protected in his castle of Peñíscola in Valencia,

Saint Benedict Biscop ; feast day January 12; for English Benedictines and dioceses of Liverpool and Hexham February 13) was the founder and first abbot of the celebrated twin monasteries of SS. Peter (at Wearmouth) and Paul (at Jarrow on Tyne, nearby); he is considered to be the father of

Columbia: …Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (1830), Benedict College (1870; Baptist), Allen University (1870; African Methodist Episcopal), and Midlands Technical College (1963). The Town Theatre, Columbia’s little-theatre organization, has operated continuously since 1919. The Columbia Museum of Art houses a collection of Italian Renaissance paintings. Points of historic interest include Pres. Woodrow…

Benedict I was the pope from 575 to 579. Little is known about his life. He was elected to succeed John III, probably just after the latter’s death (July 574), but was not consecrated until June 575, so that the see of Rome was vacant for almost 11 months. He consecrated 21 bishops during his

Saint Benedict II ; feast day May 8) was the pope from 684 to 685. He was engaged in church government under popes SS. Agatho and Leo II, whom he was elected (683) to succeed. His consecration (June 26, 684) was delayed until the approval of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatus could be

Benedict III was the pope from 855 to 858, who was chosen as successor to Leo IV in July 855. The election was not immediately confirmed by the Holy Roman emperor Louis II the Bavarian, who set up Anastasius the Librarian as antipope. Benedict was imprisoned, but the imperial government’s

Benedict IV was the pope from 900 to 903. Benedict reigned during one of the darkest periods of papal history, when Rome was torn by partisan conflict over the memory of the posthumously excommunicated pope Formosus. Little is known of his life or acts. He excommunicated Baldwin II, count of

Benedict IX was the pope three times, from 1032 to 1044, from April to May 1045, and from 1047 to 1048. The last of the popes from the powerful Tusculani family, he was notorious for selling the papacy and then reclaiming the office twice. The son of Count Alberic of Tusculum, he was the nephew of

Sergius II: …dominated by his brother, Bishop Benedict of Albano, to whom, partly because of his severe gout, he delegated most of the papal business. Benedict proved opportunistic, however, usurping power and finagling money while executing a large building program that included the enlargement of the St. John Lateran Basilica. The worst…

France: Monasticism: Benedict of Aniane, imposed the Benedictine rule, which became a characteristic feature of Western monasticism. The Carolingians, however, continued the practice of having lay abbots.

St. Benedict ; feast day July 11, formerly March 21) was the founder of the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino and father of Western monasticism; the Rule that he established became the norm for monastic living throughout Europe. In 1964, in view of the work of monks following the Benedictine

St. Benedict ; feast day July 11, formerly March 21) was the founder of the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino and father of Western monasticism; the Rule that he established became the norm for monastic living throughout Europe. In 1964, in view of the work of monks following the Benedictine

Benedict V was a pope, or antipope, from May 22, 964, to June 23, 964, when he was deposed. His election by the Romans on the death of Pope John XII infuriated the Holy Roman emperor Otto I, who had already deposed John and designated Leo VIII as successor. Otto forced his way into Rome and

Giovanni da Pian del Carpini: …at Breslau (now Wrocław) by Benedict the Pole, another Franciscan appointed to act as interpreter. The mission entered the Mongol posts at Kanev and thereafter crossed the Dnieper, Don, and Volga rivers. On the Volga stood the ordu, or “camp,” of Batu, the supreme commander on the western frontiers of…

Benedict V was a pope, or antipope, from May 22, 964, to June 23, 964, when he was deposed. His election by the Romans on the death of Pope John XII infuriated the Holy Roman emperor Otto I, who had already deposed John and designated Leo VIII as successor. Otto forced his way into Rome and

Benedict VI was the pope from Jan. 19, 973, to July 974. He was a cardinal deacon when elected to succeed John XIII the Good (d. Sept. 6, 972), but his consecration was delayed for the ratification of his protector, the Holy Roman emperor Otto I the Great. Otto’s death in 973 put Benedict at the

Benedict VII was the pope from 974 to 983. He furthered the cause of monasticism and acted against simony, specifically in an encyclical letter in 981 forbidding the exaction of money for the conferring of any holy order. Formerly bishop of Sutri, Papal States, he was elected through the

Benedict VIII was the pope from 1012 to 1024, the first of several pontiffs from the powerful Tusculani family. The ascendancy of the Tusculani marked the fall of the rival Crescentii family of Rome, which had come to dominate the papacy in the latter half of the 10th century. Benedict’s

Blessed Benedict XI ; beatified April 24, 1736feast day July 7) was the pope from 1303 to 1304. His brief reign was taken up with problems he inherited from the quarrel of his predecessor, Boniface VIII, with King Philip IV the Fair of France and the King’s allies (the Colonna family of Rome). He

Benedict XII was the pope from 1334 to 1342; he was the third pontiff to reign at Avignon, where he devoted himself to reform of the church and its religious orders. In the political sphere his efforts, influenced by King Philip VI of France, were generally unsuccessful. One of his most significant

Benedict XIII was the pope from 1724 to 1730. Entering the Dominican order in 1667, Orsini taught philosophy at Brescia, Venetian Republic, before Pope Clement X made him cardinal in 1672. He was successively archbishop of Manfredonia (1675), of Cesena (1680), and of Benevento (1686). He had taken

Benedict XIV was the pope from 1740 to 1758. His intelligence and moderation won praise even among deprecators of the Roman Catholic Church at a time when it was beset by criticism from the philosophers of the Enlightenment and its prerogatives were being challenged by absolutist monarchs. Typical

Benedict XV was the pope from 1914 to 1922. After graduating from the University of Genoa, he studied for the priesthood in the Collegio Capranica in Rome and entered the papal diplomatic service, later spending four years in Spain before being employed in the department of the secretary of state

Benedict XVI was the bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. Prior to his election as pope, Benedict led a distinguished career as a theologian and as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. His papacy faced several challenges, including a decline