Retired Pope declines his late brother's inheritance

November 2, 2020 at 5:24 p.m.
Retired Pope declines his late brother's inheritance
Retired Pope declines his late brother's inheritance

Catholic News Service

BERLIN – Retired Pope Benedict XVI has declined the inheritance of his brother Georg, who died in July, reported the German Catholic news agency KNA.

Because of this, "the estate of Georg Ratzinger goes to the Holy See," Johannes Hofmann, dean of St. Johann Collegiate Church, told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag. This was stated in the postscript of Msgr. Ratzinger's will, he said.

The house in Regensburg, Germany, where Msgr. Ratzinger lived belongs to St. Johann's, the report said. The monsignor's estate consists mainly of compositions, sheet music by the Regensburg Domspatzen choir, a small library and family photos.

Bild am Sonntag anonymously quoted a confidant of retired Pope Benedict as saying he "will certainly still receive one or two mementos." However, he carried the memories of his brother "in his heart," so the 93-year-old "no longer needs to accumulate material things."

Msgr. Ratzinger, 96, died in Regensburg July 1. The retired Pope had visited his older brother in mid-June after the latter's health had deteriorated.

Msgr. Ratzinger was retired Pope Benedict's last close relative. He ran the Regensburg Domspatzen choir from 1964 until 1994.


Related Stories

BERLIN – Retired Pope Benedict XVI has declined the inheritance of his brother Georg, who died in July, reported the German Catholic news agency KNA.

Because of this, "the estate of Georg Ratzinger goes to the Holy See," Johannes Hofmann, dean of St. Johann Collegiate Church, told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag. This was stated in the postscript of Msgr. Ratzinger's will, he said.

The house in Regensburg, Germany, where Msgr. Ratzinger lived belongs to St. Johann's, the report said. The monsignor's estate consists mainly of compositions, sheet music by the Regensburg Domspatzen choir, a small library and family photos.

Bild am Sonntag anonymously quoted a confidant of retired Pope Benedict as saying he "will certainly still receive one or two mementos." However, he carried the memories of his brother "in his heart," so the 93-year-old "no longer needs to accumulate material things."

Msgr. Ratzinger, 96, died in Regensburg July 1. The retired Pope had visited his older brother in mid-June after the latter's health had deteriorated.

Msgr. Ratzinger was retired Pope Benedict's last close relative. He ran the Regensburg Domspatzen choir from 1964 until 1994.

Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Staying focused, continuing work toward another exceptional academic year
I get asked all the time, ...

Faith is a way of life, not a label, Pope says in Papua New Guinea
In a country where most people identify a ...

Pope: All people are gifts from God with a mission to share love
Building enthusiasm for living and sharing ...

Atlanta bishops say 'hearts ache' for lives 'cruelly cut short' by latest high school shooting
The Catholic bishops of Atlanta prayed "for ...

In Local News as of Sept. 7, 2024
The following parishes, schools and organizations in the Diocese of Trenton have announced these upcoming events:


The Evangelist, 40 North Main Ave., Albany, NY, 12203-1422 | PHONE: 518-453-6688| FAX: 518-453-8448
© 2024 Trenton Monitor, All Rights Reserved.