Papacy and the Vatican

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he arrives on his popemobile in Concesio, near Brescia, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The pontiff made a one-day pilgrimage Sunday to northern Italy to pay tribute to Paul VI, his predecessor who made him a cardinal. Paul VI was elected pope in 1963, taking over from John XXIII who began the Second Vatican Council, a landmark initiative to modernize the policies and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Paul led the council to its completion, which Benedict attended as an up-and-coming theologian.